By Piper Shaw

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A Vernal, Utah, man has received a sentence of over eight years in federal prison for his role in narcotics trafficking, specifically dealing in fentanyl. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah announced that Travis Davies, 47, will serve 97 months behind bars followed by three years of supervised release, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The guilty plea, entered on June 5, came after a search of Davies’ Vernal residence on November 9, 2024, where authorities discovered a significant haul, confiscating 296 blue fentanyl pills estimated to weigh 33 grams together with the drug-dealing paraphernalia of a digital scale and several small plastic baggies; his acknowledgment of intent to distribute the potent synthetic opioid marked a clear admittance of his involvement in the dark trade of illegal substances. Davies’ history with law enforcement includes being pegged as a known distributor in the area and not shying away from continuing his illicit actions while on pretrial release for multiple other drug-related charges.

The FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office’s Vernal Resident Agency led the investigation that brought Davies to justice. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Pead spearheaded the prosecution effort, working under the broader umbrella of Operation Take Back America, a sweeping initiative directed by the U.S. Department of Justice targeting the pervasive reach of cartels and transnational criminal organizations with an equally firm hand to safeguard communities from acts of violent crime.