Overdose Death: Accused Drug Dealer Indicted In Cleveland

CLEVELAND — A Cleveland man was indicted this week for selling fentanyl that caused a fatal overdose in July. The Department of Justice said the man's customer was found dead in a downtown hotel.

Terry Lee Christian, 35, was arrested Monday and is now being charged with distribution of a controlled substance. His sentence could be longer than usual because he is accused of causing another person's death.

“This case is yet another reminder that any drug people are buying likely contains fentanyl, which can kill even in very small doses,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “By all accounts, the victim in this case believed he was buying cocaine, not opioids. This epidemic is cutting across all demographics and people need to understand there is no safe amount of drugs that can be used recreationally.”

Christian allegedly caused the death of a person identified in court papers as S.K.

Police were called to a possible drug overdose in a hotel room on July 14. When officers arrived they found a bag of suspected cocaine on the dresser, along with cocaine residue on the bathroom vanity, the affidavit filed in the case said.

The drugs were tested and found to actually be a mixture of heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl. The package the narcotics were in was also tested for DNA, and the DNA matched Christian's, the DOJ said.

The affidavit said S.K.'s cell phone, and other evidence, revealed that Christian met with S.K. on July 13. The two had made several phone calls to each other that day. After the calls, S.K. made a hand-to-hand transaction with someone in a minivan, the DOJ said.

The overdose death was investigated by Cleveland Police and the DEA.

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