WEEKI WACHEE, Fla. – Jacob Spinoza, 50, Weeki Wachee, has been sentenced to nine years, and Veronica Jo Barback, 29, Weeki Wachee, to three years and four months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute protonitazene and metonitazene.
Spinoza and Barback were also ordered to forfeit several firearms and assorted ammunition traceable to the offense. Spinoza pleaded guilty on September 7, 2023, and Barback pleaded guilty on September 12, 2023.
According to court records, Spinoza and 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.
Spinoza obtained the chemicals from China, and the packages were delivered to Florida.
On October 7, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence the pair shared and recovered trafficking amounts of protonitazene and metonitazene, as well as cash, digital scales, drug paraphernalia, firearms, and ammunition.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office both conducted investigations into this case. Dan Baeza, Assistant US Attorney, prosecuted the case.
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