Woman sentenced to 32.5 years behind bars for fentanyl charge in Douglas County
On Monday, a woman was sentenced to 32.5 years in prison with parole eligibility at 12 years and four months in relation to a fentanyl drug sale charge in Oct. 2022.
According to the Douglas County District Attorney's office, Regina Rojas was arrested on Oct. 20 during which five Douglas County Sheriff Office deputies were allegedly exposed to fentanyl, one of which collapsed.
All five deputies were transported to the hospital, but were not tested for fentanyl. It is not known how much, if any, fentanyl was in the system of the deputies.
On December 19, 2022, Rojas pled guilty to eight counts of offenses related to the possession and sale of fentanyl and heroin, including two counts of trafficking in a controlled substance.
According to the DA's office, at sentencing, Chief Deputy District Attorney Erik Levin argued that trafficking in fentanyl poses a higher threat to the community than other controlled substances and that the 598 grams of fentanyl Rojas sold over the course of five transactions was enough to potentially kill thousands of people.
Douglas County District Attorney Mark Jackson stated that he considers the trafficking of fentanyl an aggravated public safety offense and his office will vigorously prosecute such cases.
In addition to her prison sentence, Rojas was ordered to pay fines and fees totaling $14,238 and she was ordered to pay restitution to Douglas County in the amount of $22,737 for worker’s compensation claims and cleaning costs of patrol vehicles and replacement costs of some equipment related to the deputies’ alleged exposure to the fentanyl.