Indian businessman Bhavesh Lathiya sentenced to 54 months in prison for distributing and smuggling fentanyl precursor chemicals.
He was sentenced on September 2 by US District Judge Pamela K Chen in federal court in Brooklyn. Lathiya was also ordered to forfeit $24,560 and will be deported after completing his prison sentence, the US Department of Justice said. Prosecutors said Lathiya and his company illegally sold and shipped more than 50 pounds of chemicals used in fentanyl production to customers in the US and Mexico. Lathiya was arrested in New York City in January 2025.
Lathiya used deceptive shipping practices to evade customs and law-enforcement scrutiny, according to court filings. The chemicals included materials capable of supplying all the ingredients needed to manufacture fentanyl through commonly used production routes. Packages containing controlled precursor chemicals were allegedly given false descriptions and accompanied by falsified customs documents.
“With today’s sentence, the message is loud and clear that our Office will hold precursor traffickers like the defendant accountable for their role in the fentanyl supply chain.” The investigation later brought Lathiya into direct contact with an undercover US Homeland Security Investigations officer.