Getting your
Trinity Audioplayer ready...OAKLAND — A Santa Cruz man has avoided jail for parking his van outside of a homeless shelter and selling fentanyl to its residents, crimes he blamed on “poor judgment and unhealthy influences.”
Miguel Geronimo, 32, pleaded guilty to fentanyl possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, a federal offense, and was sentenced to three years of probation by U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam. He was arrested in August 2024, outside a homeless shelter on Coral Street in Santa Cruz, by a police officer whose K9 helped discover 86.6 grams of fentanyl and $3,389 in cash, along with a scale and a cellphone, according to court records.
The drugs were also laced with “tranq,” a sedative used by veterinarians, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors say Geronimo’s target market was “unhoused addicts” but that Geronimo was living out of his van at the time and was also addicted to drugs. In an apology letter to the court, Geronimo says he is grateful for being allowed to participating in a Custody Alternative Program that has helped him turn things around.
“Looking back I recognize that I allowed poor judgment and unhealthy influences dictate my behavior and I deeply regret the damage I caused,” Geronimo wrote. “Since I got sober and started CAP I have spent a lot of time reflecting in the direction my life was headed and the person I want to become. I am committed to changing my life through sobriety, accountability and personal growth.”
Federal prosecutors agreed with the sentence, writing in a memorandum that it “protects the community while recognizing Geronimo’s efforts at rehabilitation during pretrial release.”