Biden Commutes Sentence of Woman Involved in Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy

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President Joe Biden shortened Wendy Hechtman’s 15-year prison term for her involvement in a conspiracy to manufacture and distribute a more potent fentanyl. In a White House news release Thursday, Biden announced that he was pardoning 39 individuals and commuting the sentences of 1,499 others, including Hechtman.

In November 2017, Hechtman and her husband, Ken, were charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl analog, specifically carfentanil, a drug described as 100 times more potent than fentanyl. The charges stemmed from a three-count indictment that accused the Hechtmans of manufacturing and distributing the substance between March and October 2017. Hechtman and her husband also faced charges related to possession with the intent to distribute a large quantity of fentanyl analog.

Hechtman, a former journalist, was linked to a drug ring in Omaha, Nebraska, which was blamed for a significant rise in overdose deaths. Carfentanil was the key drug responsible for the surge, which overwhelmed local authorities. Following the investigation, Omaha police were able to track down the Hechtmans, who were ultimately arrested and charged.

Hechtman had been placed under house confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. She explained in an interview with the New York Times that she would have an unfathomable sense of relief from commuting. The Hechtmans were linked to a pervasive problem with fentanyl analogs and had entered a guilty plea to the charges. Carfentanil has become more prevalent in the American drug supply, which has contributed to the ongoing opioid crisis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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