SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A man was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to selling fentanyl to a 26-year-old La Mesa woman who overdosed in 2018, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Uriah Odish, 28, was charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and faces 14 and a half years in prison with five years of parole.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, "Odish sold more than 500 grams of what he knew to be fentanyl between 2017 and the day of the fatal overdose."
Tiffany Hansen died from that fatal dose.
Her mother Keri Cuppage said Odish apologized Wednesday, "he asked for forgiveness and said he was very very sorry that his decisions led to Tiffany's death."
She replied, "my biggest hope is that the time served in jail will help him and he will be able to beat his addiction."
She said Tiffany loved the beach and all things Disney. After she passed, Cuppage had her ashes formed into a sea turtle and placed at the Neptune Memorial Reef.
The reef is an underwater memorial created to look like the Lost City of Atlantis, off the coast of Miami Florida.
Cuppage said every day after Tiffany's death is a struggle. "Every time I get a joyful emotion, it's just a backwash of sad. Not a day has gone by that I haven't cried, that I don't miss her desperately."
She urges everyone to stay away from fentanyl, saying death or sentencing your loved ones to a lifetime of sadness isn't worth the high. She said she wishes she could give out her phone number so she could be there for anyone debating using the drug so she could discourage them from making a mistake.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration documented a surge in fentanyl-related deaths this year in San Diego County.
In 2019, the DEA said 152 people died from fentanyl-related overdoses. In August 2020, they estimated more than 200 fentanyl-related deaths in the first six months of the year.
The DEA said they will release an update Thursday of next week on this concerning trend.
Anyone who needs help with drug addiction can call the San Diego County Access and Crisis Line 888-724-7240 or 2-1-1 San Diego. Both resources are available 24/7.
