Man Sentenced For Distributing Fentanyl To Naugatuck Overdose Victim

NAUGATUCK, CT — A Waterbury man received a prison sentence Tuesday for his role in the overdose death of a Naugatuck man, 31, federal authorities said.

Aurelle Huckabee, 22, of Waterbury will spend the next 27 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl to an overdose victim. This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users, federal authorities said in a news release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning of July 7, 2016, Naugatuck Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a Naugatuck residence on a report of a suspected overdose.

The victim, a 31-year-old male, was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased, the news release states. Investigators seized two bags of suspected heroin and/or fentanyl, as well as the victim’s cellphone, from the scene, officials said.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner subsequently determined that the victim died as a result of “acute fentanyl intoxication,” federal authorities said.

The victim’s cellphone contained hundreds of text messages between the victim and Huckabee, according to federal officials. The text messages revealed that Huckabee regularly supplied heroin to the victimin the weeks preceding the victim’s death, the news release states.

Huckabee has been detained since his arrest on Jan. 4. On March 9, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of heroin.