A federal jury found Ludwin Borgen, 49, of Apollo Beach, guilty of distributing fentanyl resulting in death, according to an April 3 announcement by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. Borgen faces a minimum sentence of 20 years and up to life in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for June 16.
The case highlights the dangers associated with the illegal distribution and use of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid linked to rising overdose deaths nationwide.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Borgen had supplied the victim with fentanyl on multiple occasions in the Tampa Bay area. On March 29, 2022, after arranging a meeting through text messages the previous evening, the victim met Borgen at a pharmacy to purchase fentanyl. Later that day, she returned to a residence where she injected herself with the drug while bathing. The victim drowned after becoming intoxicated from injecting what toxicology reports later revealed was about ten times the therapeutic concentration of fentanyl—a level consistent with overdose deaths.
Investigators from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office determined that Borgen had sold the fatal dose using evidence from phone records and surveillance operations. A detective arranged another meeting using the victim’s phone; when Borgen arrived intending to sell more fentanyl, he was arrested. Authorities searched his vehicle and found additional quantities of fentanyl along with baggies, syringes, and a scale.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 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 are prosecuting this case.
Borgen's sentencing will determine whether he receives life imprisonment or another term within federal guidelines.
