An Akron man was indicted for selling fentanyl he obtained from China that resulted in a fatal overdose earlier this year, law enforcement officials said.
Leroy Shuarod Steele, 35, was indicted on two counts: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. Count two specifies that the fentanyl Steele distributed resulted in the fatal overdose of a person identified only as T.R. on March 21, 2015 in Akron.
Also named in the indictment are Sabrina M. Robinson, 34, and Ryan Sumlin, 26, both of Akron.
Steele, Robinson and Sumlin conspired together between March and April of this year to possess and distribute fentanyl. They obtained fentanyl from suppliers in China and then distributed the drug to people in Akron, Fairlawn and elsewhere, according to the indictment.
Sumlin faces an additional charge of distribution of fentanyl.
“A human life was snuffed out because of the poison this defendant brought to Akron," said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. “This tragedy underscores the danger of using heroin or fentanyl. Making the mistake of using this drug even once might be the last mistake a person ever makes."
The investigation is ongoing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda H. Barr following an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Akron Police Department and the Fairlawn Police Department.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
