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Wichita County jury slaps fentanyl dealer with maximum prison time

By Lynn Walker, Wichita Falls Times Record News,

11 days ago
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A man Wichita County prosecutors call "a clear and present danger to our community" has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

That was the maximum sentence allowed by law for Chris Martinez Jr.

Martinez was arrested in late February 2023 on drug charges.

During his trial over the past week, jurors heard testimony that Martinez had been involved in the fentanyl trade for a number of months.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid capable of causing death in a single dose. At least 20 people have died from the drug in the past few years in Wichita County, prompting local authorities to crack down on its distribution.

Officers of the Organized Crime Unit of the Wichita Falls Police Department testified Martinez was buying pills across North Texas and bringing them back to sell in Wichita Falls.

They said when he was arrested he had a large amount of cash.

Matt Shelton, chief prosecutor in the 89th District Court, said Martinez' phone contained pictures of the defendant with hundreds of pills, multiple weapons as well as ledgers and texts of various co-conspirators whose main objective was to sell this poison to students at local schools, out of his house and even in public restrooms.

Shelton said Martinez got "sloppy" when he left some fentanyl in a bathroom of a local store.

“Anyone could have found that, picked it up and no telling the tragedy that would have followed,” Shelton said.

He said he is proud of the work of the Wichita Falls Police Department, the Wichita County Sheriff’s Office and the jury.

"They clearly stated that we will not tolerate this poison in our community," Shelton said.

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