A 29-year-old Tucson man was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl earlier this year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated in a release.

U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow issued the sentence to Michael Fox, who also will have to spend five years on supervised release after leaving prison.

On June 29, 2019, Fox sold three fentanyl pills to a 16-year-old girl in Glendale, according to the release. Within about an hour, the victim was found unconscious and not breathing.

She was taken to a hospital, but she never recovered and was pronounced dead on July 1, 2019. A Maricopa County Medical Examiner determined the cause of death was cardiac arrest related to a fentanyl drug overdose, authorities said. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office sought a sentencing enhancement in the case to account for the death of the victim, and the district court conducted a two-day evidentiary hearing.

The court took statements from the victim’s family, several supporters of Fox, and argument from the attorneys, according to the release, which added the district court found the fentanyl pills that Fox sold to the victim caused her death. 

“This is not the first time we’ve held a fentanyl dealer responsible for a poisoning death under our federal sentencing laws and the federal sentencing guidelines,” U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino said.

“But it’s the first time we’ve had a lengthy evidentiary hearing with scientific testimony on fentanyl as part of the sentencing. We appreciate our partnership with the DEA in helping provide a strong message of deterrence, and we particularly thank the victim’s family for their support of the prosecution and their patience waiting for its outcome.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in the case.

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