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.
