A Reno man could serve up to 25 years in prison after being convicted of having more than eight pounds of fentanyl during a police investigation.
The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office says Emanuel Palomares threw a backpack over a fence on Berrum Lane when police were called to a fight between neighbors. During a subsequent investigation, the DA’s office says policediscovered that the backpack contained fentanyl packaged in multiple large baggies, equivalent to more than one million individual doses.
Palomares was convicted after a four-day jury trial and will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years in prison.
APRIL 24, 2025:
A Reno man has been convicted of drug trafficking following the discovery of over eight pounds of fentanyl during a police investigation.
According to the Washoe County District Attorney’s office, in December 2023, Reno Police responded to an apartment complex on Berrum Lane due to a reported fight between neighbors.
Upon arrival, officers observed 30-year-old Emanuel Palomares attempting to discard a backpack by throwing it over a fence.
Police recovered the backpack and, in searching it, discovered it contained over 8 pounds of fentanyl packaged in multiple large baggies.
Following a four-day jury trial, Palomares was convicted of drug trafficking.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Aziz Merchant, who highlighted the public safety threat posed by the volume of fentanyl seized, being equivalent to more than one million individual doses, noting it was considered one of the largest fentanyl seizures in Northern Nevada.
“My office, in partnership with law enforcement, remains firmly committed to combating the fentanyl epidemic,” said DA Chris Hicks. “Protecting our community by targeting those who distribute this deadly drug—and prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law—will continue to be one of our highest priorities. I commend the jury for their time and guilty verdict on this serious case.”
Palomares’ sentencing is scheduled for June 12 before Judge David Hardy, and he faces a potential maximum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years.
