Man Who Sold Fentanyl-Laced Cocaine to Overdose Victim Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JERRARD SANTIAGO, 44, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution offenses stemming from an overdose death investigation in 2021.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 18, 2021, Santiago sold cocaine laced with fentanyl to a 22-year-old male in a restroom of the Mohegan Sun Casino. The purchaser overdosed on the casino floor and died approximately 11 days later. On February 3, 2023, investigators made a controlled purchase of fentanyl and heroin from Santiago. On February 14, 2023, investigators made a controlled purchase of fentanyl and cocaine from Santiago.

Santiago has been detained since his arrest on March 30, 2023. On January 29, 2024, he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, a controlled substance. After an evidentiary hearing in April 2024, Judge Meyer concluded that Santiago knowingly distributed the narcotics that caused the victim's overdose and death.

This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mohegan Tribal Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten and Christopher W. Schmeisser.