Man Sentenced In Connection To Overdose Death In Bridgeport

WEST HAVEN, CT — A West Haven man has been sentenced to 27 months in prison in connection to the overdose death of a 29-year-old man in Bridgeport in 2015, according to authorities. John Rodriguez, 37, was also sentenced Friday to four years of supervised release following the prison term for distributing fentanyl to a Bridgeport man who overdosed on the drug in 2015, U.S. States Attorney for Connecticut John H. Durham announced in a press release. The matter stems from 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, shortly after midnight on Nov. 7, 2015, Bridgeport Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a residence in Bridgeport after a 29-year-old man had been found unresponsive by his roommate. The victim was transported by ambulance to the hospital where, after several attempts to revive him, he was pronounced dead, according to authorities.

“The investigation, which included witness interviews and analysis of text message communication, revealed that Rodriguez supplied what he believed to be heroin to the victim the day before the victim died,” Durham wrote in a press release. “A post-mortem toxicology report found fentanyl, marijuana and several anti-depressant drugs in the victim’s system, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Connecticut concluded that the victim died from acute fentanyl intoxication.”

Rodriguez was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on Sept. 22, 2016. He pleaded guilty last December to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin.

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