Annandale man gets 10 years for drug crimes

A federal court sentenced an Annandale man to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, the FBI reported Dec. 11.

According to court documents, David Monroy, 28, was convicted in 2017 on three counts of possession with intent to distribute Xanax and felony possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

In 2020, he was convicted of two counts of distribution of etizolam, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm while in possession of drugs. Etizolam is used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and panic attacks, but is not approved in the U.S.

On June 2, Monroy provided money to a straw-purchaser to buy a firearm and compensated the buyer with drugs. As a previously convicted felon, Monroy could not purchase the firearm for himself and cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

When Fairfax County Police officers stopped Monroy’s vehicle on June 3, they seized 15.78 grams of cocaine, 39 tablets containing oxycodone, and 41 tablets containing clonazepam. They also recovered the handgun purchased the previous day, which was equipped with an extended magazine.

Officers later searched Monroy’s residence, where they seized 0.73 grams of methamphetamine, 12.55 grams of cocaine, and 2,490 fentanyl tablets. Officers also recovered a loaded handgun with an obliterated serial number and an extended magazine.

Senior Judge Anthony Trenga of the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Virginia handed down the 10-year sentence on Dec. 3.

This case is part of the Operation Take Back America initiative, which is aimed at marshalling “the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”