Defendant Found Guilty in Tragic Death Of An Active-Duty San Diego Marine

SAN DIEGO – Two years after the tragic overdose of an active-duty lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps, Nameer Mohammad Atta, of San Diego, has been convicted for supplying the fentanyl.

According to evidence presented at trial,  Mr. Atta sold counterfeit “M30” pills in April and May 2020 to the Marine, knowing that the pills were counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained illicit fentanyl.

Notably, Atta used social media to market and arrange sales of these pills, referring to them as the “most trusted” in San Diego, and in text messages as the “most trusted” and “most potent” in the area. Using social media channels (like Snapchat) to market fentanyl laced pills is increasingly common, especially among teens, and often with predictably tragic effects

Atta referred to these pills as “M30s,” “Percs” and “Perc30s,” nicknames for fentanyl-laced pills. Atta’s final sale to the deceased Marine occurred on May 20, 2020, and the San Diego based Marine died from an overdose the next day.

Fentanyl is Hyper-Potent and Deadly

Researchers have sounded an alarm for the past few years about the rise in overdose deaths involving fentanyl. The majority of overdoses now involve the drug, which is 50-100 times as powerful as Morphine. Overdoses that involve fentanyl are usually deadlier because of the potency of the drug.

For people who have an opioid use disorder, there are many risks to take when buying drugs. Regular drug supply chains are strained, and China has outlawed the manufacture of oxycodone (aka Oxycontin) and fentanyl. Because of this, chemists that rely on illicit drug sales have been offering fentanyl either as an adulterant or alternative to other opioids. Chinese drugmakers funnel fentanyl through the Mexico border, and from there, it makes its way into heroin, Oxy, and other street (and internet) drug dealers.

Veterans Seeking Help for Substance Use Disorder

Present Moments Recovery is veteran-owned and passionate about helping military members with SUD. A military program is offered with a specific track that addresses SUD, loss, grief, self-care, sober support networks, and much more to provide long-term recovery tools. Our treatment team is also very familiar with recovery from fentanyl and other opioids.

Soldiers may experience traumatic events while serving in the military, such as battle exposure and countless deployments that can lead to drug or alcohol misuse, often progressing to addiction. If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction and ready to start your recovery process, we want to help you. In San Diego, California, Present Moments Recovery is a veteran-owned facility that provides many treatment options to accommodate your busy schedule. In addition, our unique treatment process was created to help military spouses or adult children of military members with substance use disorder (SUD). The military-specific route addresses SUD, grief and loss, healthy self-care during deployments, how to establish a sober support network in a new location, healthy leisure activities during command functions, and where to find resources in the military community to support a lifestyle of recovery. Call us today to learn more about our services at (619) 363-4767.