A man in Reno is now facing years in prison after a months-long investigation uncovered drugs, guns, and more inside a home.
According to the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office, Darrel Beal of Reno has been sentenced to 5 to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking 100 grams or more of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a gun.
Beal was sentenced to 4 to 10 years for the trafficking charge and 1 to 6 years for the firearm charge, with the sentences ordered to run consecutively.
The case began in August of 2025, when detectives with the Reno Police Department and Sparks Police Department, working through the Regional Crime Suppression Unit, started investigating Beal for allegedly selling fentanyl in the community and illegally possessing firearms.
Over three weeks in September of 2025, detectives conducted controlled drug purchases using a confidential informant.
After those purchases, investigators obtained a search warrant for Beal’s home. He was arrested on September 22, 2025.
During the search, detectives found 343.25 grams of fentanyl, along with 21.88 grams of psilocybin, 6.4 grams of heroin, 0.9 grams of cocaine, and five vials of liquid anabolic steroids.
Officials said the amount of fentanyl seized is equal to about 1,716,250 lethal doses.
Several guns were also recovered. According to officials, Beal is prohibited from owning guns due to a prior felony conviction.
At sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Michael Vieta-Kabell requested the full sentence of 5 to 16 years. He told the court that fentanyl trafficking and illegal firearm possession pose significant risks to people in Washoe County and asked for a sentence that would protect the community.
Judge Kathleen Sigurdson presided over the case and imposed the sentence.
