Ludwin Borgen, 49, of Apollo Beach, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber on June 30 to 27 years in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl that resulted in the death of a person. A jury found Borgen guilty on April 1, and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to evidence presented at trial, Borgen was a drug dealer operating in the Tampa Bay area who had previously supplied fentanyl to the victim on multiple occasions. On March 28, 2022, the victim contacted Borgen to arrange a purchase for the following day. The next day, March 29, she met him at a pharmacy and bought fentanyl from him.
After returning to a residence where she was staying with a friend that evening, the victim injected herself with fentanyl while soaking in the bathtub. She became intoxicated by the drug and slid under water where she drowned. Her friend discovered her body after noticing she had been in the bathroom for an extended period; her head was submerged under water and there was a syringe floating nearby.
Toxicology results showed that the victim had approximately ten times the therapeutic concentration of fentanyl in her system—a level consistent with overdose deaths. Detectives from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office specializing in overdose cases investigated and identified Borgen as having sold her the fatal dose.
A detective used the victim’s phone to set up another meeting with Borgen after her death; he arrived intending to sell more fentanyl but was arrested by investigators at that time. Authorities searched his vehicle and found additional quantities of fentanyl along with baggies, syringes, and a scale.
The case involved investigations by multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorneys Muriel Moore and Michael Sinacore prosecuted.