SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Jonathan Tyler Gauthier, described as a prolific fentanyl dealer who kept selling the deadly drug despite the fatal overdoses of two of his customers, was sentenced in federal court Thursday to 30 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Per his February 2025 plea agreement, Gauthier admitted that the fentanyl he distributed led to the overdose deaths of 24-year-old Sam Guest in September 2022 and 27-year-old Jesse White three months later.
Before handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino told Gauthier: “This is one of the most tragic cases I’ve had in my courtroom in a long time.”
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said the defendant kept “pushing poison for profit,” even after two people had lost their lives.
“This 30-year sentence sends a stark message, if you deal fentanyl and show no regard for the deadly consequences, you will be held fully accountable, no excuses, no second chances,” Gordon said.
Prosecutors stressed the sentencing reflects the serious implications “awaiting those who choose to flood our communities with deadly fentanyl.”
“HSI remains fully committed to holding these individuals accountable and continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners within the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST) to remove this deadly threat from our neighborhoods,” said Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego.
In its sentencing memo, the government listed several reasons the defendant’s actions warranted the requested sentence:
- Gauthier knew the fentanyl he was selling was deadly. He had a long history of dealing the drug and was well aware of its dangers. He even acknowledged the potency of a specific batch he sold to Sam, texting him afterward, “Ur being careful.” Despite this awareness, he sold it anyway—with tragic and foreseeable results.
- Even after Sam’s fatal overdose, Gauthier kept dealing. He knew Sam had died from fentanyl he provided—referring to him as “my buddy” in texts—but continued selling the drug. Just three months later, he sold 10 fentanyl pills to Jesse, who died the next morning. This shows a chilling disregard for human life.
- Gauthier’s criminal record underscores his persistent drug activity. Despite prior convictions for robbery and narcotics offenses, including one just weeks after Sam’s death, he kept selling. Even after Jesse’s fatal overdose, he was caught in Las Vegas selling methamphetamine and offering other drugs to an undercover officer.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Fawcett. Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team and the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST) jointly led this investigation.
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