Former US Marine Pleads Guilty To Drug Charge In Fentanyl Death Of Fellow Marine

A former U.S. marine has pleaded guilty to procuring the fentanyl that caused the death of a fellow marine, believing he was buying oxycodone pills, authorities said.

Anthony Ruben Whisenant, 24, pleaded guilty to the use of a communication facility – a cellphone – in committing a felony drug offense, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said. He faces up to four years in prison at his sentencing, scheduled for May 7.

According to court documents, Whisenant was an active-duty lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps stationed at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Calif., in May 2020 when he ordered pills marketed as oxycodone for a fellow marine identified only as “L.M.” The pills actually contained fentanyl, however.

Whisenant contacted the drug dealer, 28-year-old Gustavo Jaciel Solis, based on an advertisement Solis shared on Snapchat. L.M. drove Whisenant and another U.S. Marine, 27-year-old Ryan Douglas White, from Camp Pendleton to collect the drugs from Solis. They then drove to a party in Compton.

At the party, L.M. ingested the pills and died shortly after. Before first responders arrived, Whisenant instructed White to flush the remaining pills down a toilet.

Whisenant, Solis, and two civilians, Jordan Nicholas McCormick, 29, of Palmdale, and Jessica Sarah Perez, 25, of Pacoima, were initially charged in 2020 as being part of a drug ring, and White was charged as an accessory after the fact.

Solis pleaded guilty in April 2022 to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy and distributing fentanyl resulting in death. He faces up to life in prison at his sentencing, which has not yet taken place.

White pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of misprision of a felony for his knowledge of the fatal drug transaction and his attempts to hinder the investigation. He faces up to three years in prison at his sentencing scheduled for June 6.

“Fentanyl continues to claim the lives of too many in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally. “Our office remains committed to holding accountable those responsible for circulating fentanyl and other dangerous substances in our district and threatening the health and safety of our residents.”