Longview man sentenced to 30 years for teen’s overdose death

Published 5:35 am Friday, August 1, 2025

A Longview man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl pills that led to a 17-year-old’s death.

Kym Andrew Wallace, 28, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday. Wallace was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle that day.

Wallace, known as “Trigga,” sold pills that were supposed to be prescription drugs; however, they contained fentanyl, and a 17-year-old died of an overdose May 29, 2024, the news release said. Investigators determined that the pills contained fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.

The pills Wallace sold were round and colored light blue, and they were marked with the letter ‘M’ and the number 30. Those are the markings used for 30-milligram tablets of generic oxycodone, according to the news release.

“Thirty years in a federal prison cannot compare to the lifetime sentence of grief that the victim’s family faces as the result of Wallace’s actions,” Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs said in the news release.  “Wallace deserves every day of this 360-month sentence.  Our office, and our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively work to protect our communities from drug traffickers like Wallace.”

The case is part of Operation Take Back America, which is aimed at stopping illegal immigration and eliminating cartels and other criminal organizations.

The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office and Longview Police Department assisted with the case.

“The Longview Police Department remains committed to professionally protecting our community and holding those who traffic dangerous drugs accountable,” department officials said in a statement.