Man sentenced to life for fentanyl sale that killed Vero Beach resident

VERO BEACH — A Los Angeles man was sentenced to life in federal prison Thursday for selling the fentanyl that killed Vero Beach resident David Eller in 2023. The sale was caught on a doorbell camera, and Eller was found dead in his home just hours later.

Two days after Eller’s death, deputies arrested Alfonso Guerrero with additional fentanyl intended for distribution, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.

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U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed the sentence on Guerrero, 39, of Los Angeles, after a federal jury convicted him in May 2026 of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.

Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers understands the importance of close work between local and federal agencies.

“This is an example of why we work so hard to maintain strong federal partnerships. We are stronger together as a team. Selling deadly drugs in Indian River County is a pathway to prison,” Flowers told Sebastian Daily.

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said in a statement after the sentencing:

“A tenth of a gram of fentanyl, about the size of a small pinch of salt, was enough to kill David Eller. This was not a small drug deal. It was a deadly one. Guerrero sold the fentanyl that killed his friend and, just two days later, was caught carrying more fentanyl for distribution. Today’s life sentence is the consequence of that deadly conduct and his long record of violence and crime. Together with the DEA and our local law enforcement partners, we will trace fatal doses back to the dealers who sold them and hold those dealers fully accountable.”

Guerrero had a lengthy criminal record that included documented gang membership. He previously was convicted of attempted robbery with a firearm in California, aggravated assault in Georgia, and cocaine and fentanyl possession in Florida.

The case was investigated by the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA Miami Field Division. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted it for the Southern District of Florida.