Colorado man sentenced to life in prison for fentanyl distribution resulting in death
A man out of Grand Junction was sentenced to life behind bars for the distribution of fentanyl, which resulted in a death, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Colorado.
Bruce Holder, 57, of Grand Junction, was sentenced to life in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Wednesday in a press release.
Holder was identified as the leader in conjunction with multiple co-conspirators, including his wife, children and other members of his family, to distribute 30mg oxycodone pills that seemed legitimate, but were spiked with fentanyl.
Court documents say Holder also imported tens of thousands of pills from Mexico into western Colorado, where his co-conspirators would distribute the drugs for substantial profit from 2017 to 2018. Back in 2017, a young man died following the consumption of one of the pills Holder had imported, according to the affidavit.
Holder continued to import the laced pills into the United States and even continued to distribute them after being captured in 2018. Evidence that was presented at his trial revealed he discussed plans to tamper with evidence and possibly murder a cooperating witness in the case.
"It has taken more than five years to get justice for the victims' families. We hope this brings them some amount of peace," said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. "We could not have gotten to this point without the hard work and dedication from our law enforcement partners at the DEA, the FBI, Homeland Security, the Grand Junction Police Department and the Mesa County Sheriff's Office."
He continued discussing Holder's sentencing and how he hopes it will make an impact in the community saying, "We hope this sentence sends a strong message to fentanyl dealers that we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law if your illicit drugs kill people in our state."
This was the longest sentence handed down by the Colorado federal court for such a case, according to Finegan.
During the sentencing, Holder became frustrated during the hearing and at one point headed toward a courtroom door before being blocked by U.S. Marshals, according to the Associated Press.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Rocky Mountain Division conducted the investigation, with the assistance of the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and various other state, local and federal agencies.
United States District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello presided over Holder's trial and sentencing.
