(COLORADO SPRINGS) — El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) announced on Monday, June 3, that a woman has been found guilty in a jail fentanyl distribution case.

Wendy Sanchez, 44, was charged on Jan. 9, 2024, with Distribution of Controlled Substances, Unlawful possession of a Controlled Substance, and possession of contraband in the second degree.

In Dec. 2023, El Paso County Jail received information about the potential presence of Fentanyl at the El Paso County Jail. Deputies were able to locate and recover the drugs before they were ingested.

EPSO detectives reviewed hours of video from inside the ward and were successful in identifying Sanchez as the individual responsible for passing the suspected Fentanyl pill to another woman.

“This is another example of our efforts to reduce the introduction of illicit drugs into the jail,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal. “If you are in custody and are found to possess dangerous drugs in our facility, we will hold you fully accountable under the law.”

On Wednesday, May 15, Sanchez pleaded guilty to the distribution of a controlled substance and was sentenced to six years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.

“I thank my staff, particularly Detectives Adorador and Margurite, who worked diligently to investigate this case,” Roybal added. “At the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, we are committed to keeping citizens in our community, whether in jail on our streets or in our neighborhoods, safe.”