Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced on Friday that a Dallas man was sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas (EDTX).
52-year-old Gary Collin Bussell pleaded guilty on Jan. 26, 2021, to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of controlled substances, officials say. He was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan.
“The Eastern District of Texas remains committed to pursuing the fight against illegal narcotics on all fronts,” Ganjei said. “This case is a sad reminder that recreational use of prescription drugs, counterfeit or not, can present tremendous risks to the user, including overdose and death. EDTX continues to partner with the DEA in the battle against the trafficking of counterfeit and illegally-obtained pharmaceuticals.”
Information presented in court states that a 29-year-old from Fairview died from a fentanyl and alprazolam drug overdose. When federal drug enforcement agents investigated the death, they found that Bussell was involved in the large-scale purchase and distribution of various pharmaceutical medications.
Officials said that Bussell personally distributed drugs and also had others distribute on his behalf. Investigators also determined that he distributed the fentanyl and alprazolam that caused the overdose death of the Fairview resident.
The investigation also uncovered 34-year-old William Grant Allbrook and 38-year-old Peter Yin as part of the drug dealing. According to officials, Allbrook was a counterfeit pharmaceutical drug distributor in the Dallas area who acquired counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs from Yin. Allbrook then distributed those drugs to Bussell and others on behalf of Bussell’s organization, officials say.
Bussell was sentenced to thirty years in federal prison, according to the latest sentence in the EDTX counterfeit drug investigation. Officials said that co-defendants Allbrook and Yin each got a sentence of 20 years in federal prison for their roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy.