Two from Weeki Wachee sentenced for conspiring to sell a new opioid variant

FLORIDA — A man and woman from Weeki Wachee have been sentenced for conspiring to sell a new opioid variant, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO) announced on Friday.

Jacob Spinoza, 50, was sentenced to nine years and Veronica Jo Barback, 29, to three years and four months in federal prison, respectively, for conspiring to distribute protonitazene and metonitazene.

Mr Spinoza and Ms Barback were also ordered to forfeit several firearms and assorted ammunition traceable to the offense, said the USAO.

Mr Spinoza pleaded guilty on September 7, 2023, and Ms Barback pleaded guilty on September 12, 2023.

According to court records, Mr Spinoza and Ms Barback conspired to distribute two chemicals in the nitazene class: protonitazene and metonitazene. These are chemicals intended to have similar effects on the body as fentanyl, with varying degrees of potency stronger than fentanyl.

Mr Spinoza obtained the chemicals from China, and the packages were delivered to the Middle District of Florida. On October 7, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence the two shared and said they recovered trafficking amounts of protonitazene and metonitazene, as well as cash, digital scales, drug paraphernalia, firearms, and ammunition.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza prosecuted it.