US Postal Inspector: 10,000 Fentanyl Pills Shipped Through Casper to Powell
For the second time this week, federal authorities have charged a Wyoming resident for receiving large amounts of illicit drugs in the mail, according to the latest allegation filed in U.S. District Court on Thursday.
Victoria Zupko of Powell is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count using the U.S. Mail to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to the affidavit written by a U.S. Postal Inspector.
The conspiracy count is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, and use of a communication facility to facilitate a felony drug crime is punishable by up to four years imprisonment.
On Monday, that same postal inspector filed a criminal complaint about Tyler Sims, a Casper resident who in November received two packages containing suspected methamphetamine through the U.S. Postal Service.
Those parcels to his address on South Beverly Street were sent from an address in Tucson, Arizona.
A confidential informant also told the postal inspector that they were transporting methamphetamine from Denver to Sims, who was identified as a sub-distributor in Casper.
Another confidential source said Sims provided methamphine to his mother for her to sell.
The total estimated weight of that suspected methamphetamine was 596 grams, or about 21.3 ounces. If convicted of attempt to possess methamphetamine for distribution, Sims faces up to 20 years imprisonment.
Sims' quantities were a pinch compared with what Zupko received in Powell.
That case began in November when the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation became aware of illegal narcotics sent through the U.S. Mail were being sold from an address on Springhill Road in Powell, according to the postal inspector's affidavit.
That address was receiving parcels from drug sources in Arizona and California, according to the postal inspector's affidavit.
On March 14, inspectors were notified that a parcel was being sent from from Phoenix.
The next day, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kelly Ranking authorized a search warrant for the parcel.
Inspectors found the parcel had approximately 1,068 grams -- approximately 10,000 pills -- or more than 2 pounds of suspected fentanyl and 462 grams of presumptive positive methamphetamine, according to the affidavit.
That same day, Zupko contacted a supervisor at the Casper Post Office and asked about the parcel.
On at 9 a.m. Monday, the postal inspector acting undercover delivered the parcel to the front door of the Powell address. Meanwhile, the DCI had obtained a search warrant for the address.
At 12:40 p.m., Zupko picked up the parcel and entered the residence.
Five minutes later, agents with the DCI, Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration entered the residence where they found Zupko near a partially consumed fentanyl pill and drug paraphernalia. A young child was in her presence, too.
Zupko also had seven or eight loose fentanyl pills in per pocket and more paraphernalia.
During the execution of the search warrant, agents found and seized more paraphernalia and illegal narcotics in the residence.
After being advised of her Miranda rights, Zupko told agents that two other parcels had been sent to her address.
She estimated one parcel contained between 6,000 to 8,000 fentanyl pills.
The other contained one pound of methamphetamine and about 4,000 fentanyl pills.
Someone else, she added, distributed the drugs.
Zupko told the agents that she would split the parcel she received on Monday with other people and was expecting 2,000 to 2,500 pills.
She paid a subject $2,000 through Cash App and was expected to pay an additional $500 after the parcel arrived.
Also said she sold the fentanyl pills for $60 each, adding she made more than $100,000 the previous year selling fentanyl pills,