Tyla Griffin, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced to 92 months (nearly eight years) in federal prison for her role in a large fentanyl distribution network, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced on Feb. 21. Griffin was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after completing her sentence.
Originally from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Griffin relocated to Phoenix in January 2020, where she became involved in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. Together with her co-conspirator, Davon Beckford, Griffin established connections with a fentanyl supplier in Arizona. The two worked together to ship hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to drug dealers in Pennsylvania, utilizing the U.S. Postal Service to transport the illegal substances.
Griffin pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and distributing fentanyl pills in February 2023 in Scranton federal court. Beckford, who was also charged in the case, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on January 24, 2025, after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl resulting in death.
The DEA continues its efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis, with massive seizures in recent years. In 2023 alone, the agency confiscated more than 80 million fentanyl-laced pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, which equates to over 390 million lethal doses. In 2024, the DEA reported the seizure of approximately 55.5 million fentanyl pills and thousands of pounds of fentanyl powder, totaling over 367 million deadly doses.
Griffin’s sentencing serves as a reminder of the growing dangers posed by fentanyl trafficking and the federal government’s ongoing crackdown on drug distribution networks.
