Colin Butler and David Medina Will Both Serve Time in Federal Prison for Roles in Overdoses
HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA - A Cross Junction, Virginia man, who was responsible for selling heroin that caused the same man to overdose twice in seven days in March 2014, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Harrisonburg.
Colin Patrick Butler, 30, of Cross Junction, Va., previously pled guilty to two counts of distribution of heroin. Today in District Court, Butler was sentenced to 150 months of federal incarceration and three years of supervised released after that. David Josueh Medina, 34, the man who sold the heroin to Butler before the first overdose, was previously sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for his role in the heroin overdoses.
“Heroin continues to pose a real and substantial danger to many communities throughout Virginia," Acting United States Attorney Anthony P. Giorno said today. “I commend our law enforcement partners in the Northwest Region of the Western District who have made significant progress in identifying and interdicting organizations and individuals who are profiting from heroin trafficking. We will continue to fight this epidemic with the combination of enforcement, education and prevention."
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth G. Wright, on March 15, 2014, Medina sold heroin to Butler. In turn, Butler then distributed that same heroin to a friend, J.H.H. The friend was injected with the heroin and overdosed inside a residence in Winchester, Va. Butler, and another resident at the home, attempted CPR on J.H.H. and soon called 911. Emergency medical personnel and law enforcement personnel responded to the scene, and after taking life-saving measures, administered Narcan to J.H.H., who ultimately survived the overdose.
One week later, on March 21, 2014, Butler again distributed heroin to J.H.H. and again J.H.H. suffered an overdose. Again, 911 was called and emergency personnel administered life-saving measures and Narcan to J.H.H. and were able to save J.H.H.’s life.
During both overdoses, Butler disposed of and cleaned up evidence of drug use after J.H.H. collapsed.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug Task Force, which includes the Virginia State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Task Force includes law enforcement from the counties of Frederick, Clarke, Shenandoah, Warren and Page as well as the cities and towns of Winchester, Front Royal and Strasburg. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Wright prosecuted the case for the United States.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
