A 20-year-old Dallas man has been sentenced to prison for 14 years for his reported involvement in a deadly overdose in 2021.
According to information from the Department of Justice, Robert Habtemariam pled guilty to possession with intent to manufacture and deliver fentanyl.
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Habtemariam was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison on May 19, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan.
Documents show that law enforcement authorities responded to a parking lot regarding an unconscious person.
When officers arrived at the scene, they reportedly found a victim lying on the ground near a vehicle and teenagers attempting to move him inside.
Narcan was administered to the victim, and he was transported to the hospital where he later died.
Investigators concluded that Habtemariam had administered the victim with a pill and left the scene before law enforcement arrived. Habtemariam later returned to the scene and allowed officers to search his vehicle where they located 25 pills that appeared to be oxycodone but were later determined to be “pressed” pills containing fentanyl.
Investigators determined that Habtemariam provided one of the pills to the victim which caused his overdose and instead of calling 911, Habtemariam called the victim’s girlfriend and left the scene.
Ultimately, Habtemariam identified his original source of the drug as a man named Antonio Havis.
Havis was previously convicted and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison by Judge Jordan on December 9, 2022.
“Fentanyl overdose deaths are tragic and heartbreaking,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “As long as fentanyl plagues our community and causes tragic, unnecessary deaths, we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute overdose cases. Friday’s sentencing of Robel Habtemariam sends a clear message that this office and our state and federal law enforcement partners will continue to prosecute and hold accountable dealers who distribute this poison, exploit addictions, and cause senseless deaths in the Eastern District of Texas.”
“Today’s sentence is just another consequence of deadly illicit fentanyl in our neighborhoods,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas. “Mr. Habtemariam will spend the next 14 years in federal prison because of one deadly pill. Because of that same pill, a life was lost, and families have been forever changed. DEA Dallas and our law enforcement partners throughout the region will continue to investigate overdose and poisoning deaths and bring those responsible to justice; however, every one of us must do our part to prevent and educate others that truly One Pill Can Kill.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Rowlett Police Department and the Rowlett Fire and Emergency Services and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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