A Woodland Hills resident has been sentenced to seven years in state prison after admitting to selling fentanyl‑laced counterfeit pills to buyers in Ventura County. The defendant, identified by prosecutors as Ronald Jelaniwarren Joseph, entered a guilty plea earlier this year to multiple felony narcotics charges and a firearm offense.
According to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, investigators linked Joseph to the sale of counterfeit “M‑30” oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. Detectives conducted undercover purchases and documented repeated sales to Ventura County buyers. The investigation culminated in Joseph’s arrest during a narcotics transaction in Newbury Park in November 2024.
A subsequent search of his Woodland Hills residence uncovered more than 1,000 counterfeit pills along with a handgun. Prosecutors noted that Joseph was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction.
Joseph was sentenced in Ventura County Superior Court to a seven‑year term following his guilty plea to selling and transporting fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a felon. The case was prosecuted as part of the county’s ongoing effort to address fentanyl‑related deaths and drug trafficking activity.
Sources
- KTLA
- FOX 11 Los Angeles
- Ventura County District Attorney’s Office