The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jesse R. Fong of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George's County Police Department; St. Mary's County Sheriff Tim Cameron; and Chief Barry M. Barnard of the Prince William County (Virginia) Police Department.
"The drugs distributed by Keino Dorsey were mixed with fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, unbeknownst to the victim, who died almost immediately after ingesting the drugs," said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. "Dorsey will now face more than 15 years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever. Drug traffickers are on notice that dealing in fentanyl increases their odds of federal prosecution. We must do everything we can to reduce overdose deaths from fentanyl and from all opioids."
According to Dorsey's plea agreement, Dorsey and Victim A had known each other for approximately three years, during which Dorsey sold heroin and other drugs to Victim A. On October 17, 2017, Dorsey and Victim A communicated via text message and phone calls. Victim A and others traveled to Dorsey's apartment to purchase narcotics. At about 12:45 p.m. Victim A went inside the apartment building to conduct the narcotics transaction and the other individuals stayed inside the vehicle. Less than five minutes later, Victim A texted one of the individuals waiting in the vehicle: "Gimmi a min he wants me to try sumthin..." The individuals inside the vehicle attempted to contact Victim A, but left the area to return home after several unanswered calls and text messages.
Dorsey admitted that at 1:08 p.m. he contacted 911 using Victim A's cellular telephone to report an emergency and then hung up. The 911 dispatcher called Victim A's phone three times between 1:08 and 1:16 p.m., but no one answered. The 911 dispatcher also texted Victim A's phone during that time, but with no response. At 2:22 p.m. Dorsey again contacted 911, this time informing the dispatcher that Victim A was unresponsive. Emergency medical personnel responded to Dorsey's apartment and attempted lifesaving measures, but were not successful, and Victim A was pronounced dead.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Maryland subsequently determined that the cause of Victim A's death was heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, cyclopropyl fentanyl, and despropionyl fentanyl intoxication. Victim A died as a result of ingesting the narcotics Dorsey provided to Victim A.
From April through June 2018, law enforcement conducted eight controlled buys of narcotics from Dorsey, who traveled from Maryland to Virginia to conduct the transactions. At the direction of law enforcement, purchases totaling of 111 grams of heroin and 78 grams of a mixture of heroin and other drugs, including fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and/or cocaine were made from Dorsey.
On July 13, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Dorsey's residence and recovered narcotics containing heroin, fentanyl and cocaine; 12 boxes/bottles of cutting agents for heroin; and drug paraphernalia. From Dorsey's vehicle, law enforcement recovered a black vacuum sealed foil package containing heroin from inside a magnetic box in the rear floorboard.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the DEA, HSI, the Prince George's County Police Department and the Prince William County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Sykes and Gregory Bernstein, who prosecuted the case.