‘Cartel Lawyer’ Gets 20 Years: Suspended Anchorage, Alaska, Attorney Sentenced in Fentanyl Case Tied to a Ring Prosecutors Say Was Run From a California Prison Cell
Justin Facey, a suspended Anchorage, Alaska, defense attorney whom federal prosecutors accused of bragging that he was a “cartel lawyer,” was sentenced on Oct. 6, 2026, to 20 years in federal prison for dealing fentanyl and methamphetamine, Alaska’s News Source reported. Prosecutors tie his case to what they call one of the largest drug-trafficking rings in Alaska history, allegedly run by a man serving a life sentence in a California prison.
Guns, scales and baggies at his home
Facey, 46, pleaded guilty in June to one count of possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute. In return, prosecutors dropped four other counts, including two firearms charges, according to Alaska’s News Source. On April 30, 2025, investigators found fentanyl, more than 5 grams of pure meth, several guns, digital scales and small plastic baggies at his Anchorage home. He faced 5 to 40 years. U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess also ordered five years of supervised release.
Prosecutors also alleged that Facey pressured clients into sex acts in exchange for legal help. He was not convicted of that conduct. The judge noted that Facey had exploited female clients and victims, Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander said. “I have a lot to apologize for,” Facey told the court.
A ring run from a California cell
Court documents show Facey texted directly with Heraclio Sanchez-Rodriguez. In one exchange, they discussed moving a co-conspirator so Anchorage police would not find him, the outlet reported. Prosecutors say Sanchez-Rodriguez, who is serving 25 years to life in California, used smuggled cellphones to send drugs by U.S. mail to more than a dozen Alaska communities. In January 2024, Alaska’s News Source reported that he got the drugs from suppliers in Mexico. More than 50 people have been charged. Seizures in the case include 92 kilograms of fentanyl, 26 kilograms of meth and 11 kilograms of heroin.
In May 2025, the Anchorage Daily News reported on messages that prosecutors filed in court. In one, Facey appeared to write: “The cartel literally threw a duffle bag from a moving vehicle onto my roof to hire me last week.” The outlets do not name the cartel, and Facey was not convicted of any cartel-related charge. Sanchez-Rodriguez’s own case, which includes murder charges over a 2023 double killing in Trapper Creek, is still pending. He has not been convicted in that case.
Sources
- Alaska’s News Source (Jonson Kuhn), “Suspended Anchorage attorney sentenced to 20 years in federal drug case tied to cartel ring,” Oct. 6, 2026
- Alaska’s News Source, “Suspended Anchorage attorney pleads guilty in federal drug case tied to massive Alaska cartel ring,” June 23, 2026
- Alaska’s News Source, “Over 50 people charged in connection to expansive drug trafficking ring,” Jan. 26, 2024
- Anchorage Daily News (Zaz Hollander), “Anchorage attorney accused of cartel connections arrested on federal weapons and drug charges,” May 22, 2025
- Photos: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Alaska (public domain), via Alaska’s News Source; Emily Mesner, via Anchorage Daily News
Reported Oct. 6, 2026, from the news reports above. The cartel links are prosecutors’ allegations. Facey was convicted only of the drug-possession count. The reports do not include comment from a lawyer for Facey.