COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A Colorado Springs woman was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday for distributing fentanyl which killed a teenage boy in January 2022.
Marlene McGuire, 59, was accused of selling four pills which contained fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl to three juveniles near a fire station in the Security-Widefield area of Colorado Springs on Jan. 30, 2022. A day later, one of the juveniles – a 16-year-old boy – was found dead in his room by his father and stepmother.
Police and a deputy coroner found paraphernalia used for smoking fentanyl pills in the boy’s room and near his body, as well as two remaining blue pills in a baggie in his dresser drawer, according to prosecutors.
After an autopsy, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office determined the “otherwise healthy” boy’s cause of death was acute fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl toxicity. The pills tested positive for para-fluorofentanyl, a dangerous chemical analogue of fentanyl. One of the two pills also contained fentanyl, lidocaine, and xylazine, according to the a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
During the course of the investigation, the FBI and the Colorado Springs Police Department identified McGuire and Maria Davis-Conchie, also known as “CeCe,” as the women responsible for selling the blue pills that killed the boy.
The investigation also revealed that they had been engaged in a conspiracy to sell various controlled substances—including methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and blue pills—since at least May 2020, prosecutors said.
Investigators would perform a search warrant of McGuire’s home, where they found and seized methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and a blue pill which contained fentanyl.
“I am saddened by the tragic loss of a young member of our community to the fentanyl epidemic,” said Colorado Springs Police Department Chief Adrian Vasquez. “Fentanyl is having deadly consequences here in Colorado Springs. This case underscores the effectiveness of our collaborative efforts with our federal partners, including the FBI, and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding accountable those in our community who prey on others. This sentence also highlights the reason CSPD continues to advocate for stricter state laws that could be used to increase accountability for these crimes.”
After serving her custodial sentence, McGuire will have six years of supervised release, according to prosecutors.
