Man Expected To Be Charged In Connection With 2020 OD Death: PD

STAMFORD, CT — After a complex, yearlong investigation, the Stamford Police Department has arrested a 26-year-old man who they say sold drugs to a 39-year-old Stamford woman just prior to her overdose death on Sept. 10, 2020 in her Washington Boulevard apartment.

Capt. Richard Conklin of the SPD said Rodney Spann Jr., of Bridgeport, was arrested Wednesday on a warrant that charges him with selling narcotics and conspiracy at selling narcotics.

A court-set bond of $500,000 was placed on Spann, and he was arraigned in court on Thursday.

Conklin said additional arrest warrants related to the overdose death, other drug sales, and items seized during Wednesday's arrest will be served "in the near future."

An investigation into the overdose of the female victim over a year ago led police to calling Spann a person of interest, Conklin said.

"We were able to introduce an undercover officer [from Darien] into him and purchase numerous counterfeit percocet pills that tested positive for fentanyl, and heroin that also tested positive for fentanyl," Conklin said. "With these purchases, a cell phone workup and multiple search warrants were executed [Wednesday] for Spann's person, home and vehicle. We also obtained an arrest warrant which charged him with sale of narcotics and conspiracy at sale of narcotics dating to that original sale that led to the [overdose] death."

Stamford authorities met with Drug Enforcement Agency officials, the Bridgeport Police Gang Unit, and the Darien Police Department on Wednesday to execute the search and arrest warrants on Spann.

Spann was seen walking near his Weber Street home in Bridgeport on Wednesday afternoon, Conklin said. As officers approached him, he threw four "bundles" of heroin on the ground, Conklin added, noting that a bundle is equal to 10 bags.

A search warrant at Spann's house found 41 wax bags containing fentanyl; 59 wax bags of heroin; a bag containing 5.2 grams of crack cocaine; a bag containing 3.8 grams of cocaine mixed with heroin; and another bag containing 12.3 grams of fentanyl, Conklin said.

Officers also found a loaded Smith and Wesson M&P 9 mm handgun which was recently reported lost out of New Haven, $295 in cash, and packaging equipment used for the sale of drugs, Conklin said.

Conklin thanked state prosecutor Dan Cummings for working on the lengthy investigation over the past year.

"Also we'd like to recognize the Darien Police Officer who served as the undercover in this case and made numerous buys of counterfeit percocet pills with fentanyl, and heroin with fentanyl," Conklin said. "He did a wonderful job as an undercover in this case."