A 37-year-old Lodi woman was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty in a case involving 130 pounds of methamphetamine and highly pure “death angel” fentanyl.
U.S. District Court Judge John A. Mendez sentenced Ong Thao for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. A co-defendant, Joshua Riccobuono, also agreed to a plea deal and is awaiting sentencing.
Authorities alleged that Thao and Riccobuono conspired to sell drugs over a wide area of Northern California between July 2022 and November 2024. Their customers were spread across not only San Joaquin County, but Sacramento, Placer, Butte, Shasta and Siskiyou counties as well.
According to court documents, Thao also took part in the sale of an especially virulent compound of fentanyl, which was 77% pure. She and Riccobuono told an undercover agent during the sale they were offering “death angel” fentanyl. In addition, Thao possessed about 130 pounds of meth at the time of her arrest.
The pair’s arrests were part of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.