Plea Entered in Avon/Farmington Fatal Heroin Case

AVON, CT — A suspect in two heroin-related deaths in Hartford County is facing potential decades in prison, federal officials said Tuesday.

John Durham, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian Boyle, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, said that Joshua Holloway, 25, of Hartford, waived his right to be indicted and entered a guilty plea Tuesday in Hartford federal court to two counts of possession with intent to distribute heroin and the distribution of heroin.

The case is part of an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids "that cause death or serious injury to users."

According to court documents and statements made in court, on Feb. 16, 2017, Farmington police and emergency medical personnel found an unresponsive man at a Farmington residence. Life saving measures were attempted, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene, according to case records.

A family member then informed investigators that the victim had an opiate addiction, according to case records. Officers did not locate evidence related to drug use, but seized the victim’s cell phone, case records indicate.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner concluded that the victim’s death was caused by “acute heroin and fentanyl toxicities, alcohol and sertraline use.” Witness interviews and analysis of the seized cell phone revealed that Holloway supplied a heroin/fentanyl combination to the victim on Feb. 15, 2017, in Hartford, federal officials said.

The investigation revealed that Holloway also sold heroin/fentanyl to a man in Avon on Feb. 11, 2017, according to case records.

The purchaser ingested some of the heroin sold to him by Holloway and died shortly thereafter of "an acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, alpazolam and etizolam," according to case records.

Holloway was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on Jan. 23 of this year.

Holloway is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on Oct. 11, prosecutors said. He is facing a maximum prison term of 20 years on each count.

Holloway has been free after posting a $50,000 bond.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel

To sign up for free, local breaking news alerts from more than 100 Connecticut communities click here.