A former Centralia and Salem man has been sentenced to five years in prison after earlier entering a plea agreement to a one-count indictment of maintaining a drug-involved premise within 1,000 feet of a school.
John Fodero admitted to maintaining a place located in the 600 block of East 7th in Centralia from June 2020 to February 2021 to distribute and using fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing a detectible amount of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of Centralia Junior High School.
The Judge recommended Fodero be assigned to participate in a residential drug abuse program. He was also fined $5,000.
When released from prison, Fodero will have to serve six years of supervised release. He will also be prohibited from possessing or using any controlled substance and will be subject to drug testing.
Centralia Police say a search warrant was executed on the home on East 7th in February 2021 as part of an ongoing drug investigation after the residence was identified as a hub of drug activity and congregating point for drug users who used the residence as a flophouse to consume drugs. Police had responded to the address for over 12 opioid overdose calls and 94 calls for police service since January 2020.
14 people not related to each other were identified as living in the single-family residence as well as in a storage shed and detached garage. Five of those at the home were arrested during the execution of the February 2021 search warrant. In addition, police say they located 30 capsules of suspected Fentanyl and a substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
