Better Call Saul was supposed to be a cautionary tale, not a career guide. One former Alaska attorney learned that the hard way.
Justin Facey, a 46-year-old former Anchorage defense attorney, was recently sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing fentanyl and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
According to the Anchorage Daily News, prosecutors said Facey helped facilitate a sprawling drug-trafficking organization that sent drugs into some of Alaska’s smallest communities. More than 60 defendants have been charged in connection with the operation.
Facey allegedly provided legal services and other assistance to the organization, distributed drugs from his home, possessed multiple firearms, and bragged about being an “attorney for the cartel.”
Prosecutors also said Facey exploited vulnerable women, accepting sex as part of a legal fee and soliciting sex from women who owed him drug debts. At sentencing, the court said he had fallen far short of his professional obligations and had “dehumanized and exploited” women.
Facey’s lawyers requested a 10-year sentence, arguing that untreated addiction and mental-health issues fueled his conduct. Prosecutors countered that he used his education and professional position to sustain a major drug-trafficking operation.
The judge sided with the government, imposing a 20-year sentence followed by five years of supervised release.
If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, please contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Lawyers and law students may also seek confidential assistance through their state’s lawyer assistance program.
Anchorage ‘cartel attorney’ gets 20-year prison sentence for drug trafficking [Anchorage Daily News]
Attorney sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug trafficking [ABA Journal]
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
