A San Francisco jury convicted a man who was caught by police in SoMa with a slew of drugs in his possession that prosecutors say was a “virtual pharmacy.”
Eduardo Rosales-Silva, 20, was found guilty of one count of possession for sale of cocaine base, two counts of possession for sale fentanyl, two counts of possession for sale heroin and two counts of possession for sale methamphetamine, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.
Rosales-Silva faces more than eight years in state prison, according to authorities. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 6, 2023.
According to authorities, Rosales-Silva was arrested on May 31, 2022, by Eighth and Market streets and was found to have 94.5 grams of fentanyl, 43 grams of methamphetamine, 12 grams of cocaine base, 11.3 grams of heroin, a stun gun, a pocketknife and digital scale.
He was released by the court on his own recognizance, but less than a month later, on June 27, 2022, officers arrested him again, one block over on Eighth and Stevenson streets, after finding him with 13.8 grams of heroin, 106.3 grams of fentanyl and 31.3 grams of methamphetamine.
Prosecutors refuted claims from the defense that Rosasles-Silva was a victim of human trafficking.
“Mr. Rosales-Silva was found with a virtual pharmacy on his person,” said Assistant District Attorney Colin Alexander. “This jury took their job seriously, and after evaluating the evidence critically, realized there was absolutely no corroboration to the story that he’d been human trafficked.”
Although prosecutors secured Rosales-Silva’s conviction, the U.S. Attorney’s Office told The Standard earlier in September that local, state and federal agencies are working together to prosecute more drug-dealing cases in federal court.
Since May, San Francisco police have arrested over 300 alleged drug dealers and seized over 220 pounds of drugs, according to SFPD. Of the 476 people who were suspected of using drugs or being under the influence of drugs in public that were arrested by SFPD, only two have entered drug treatment through the department’s new initiative to target open-air drug markets.
Yet, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, keeping drug dealers jailed has proved difficult.
Jenkins’ office detailed that prosecutors have filed 248 motions to detain the “most egregious” drug-dealing suspects, citing public safety risks. As of this week, the court has granted 19.
“This verdict,” she said, “marks a turning point in the fight to retake our streets from drug dealers who have operated open-air drug markets with impunity.”