A California man has pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge involving fentanyl shipped across the country to Buffalo, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Fidel Beltran-Torres, 50, of Inglewood, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Sinatra Jr. to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Prosecutors said he arranged fentanyl shipments to Brian Smith and Dawnte Dooling in Buffalo between March 23 and April 4, 2025.
On April 4, a box containing about 2 kilograms of fentanyl was delivered in the area of Allen Street and Elmwood Avenue, according to prosecutors.
The case also involved approximately 15 kilograms of cocaine distributed between January 2024 and April 2025, the office said.
Beltran-Torres faces a maximum fine of $10 million and is scheduled for sentencing Feb. 12, 2027.
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