North New Castle News

U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Delaware issued the following announcement on Jan. 10.

United States Attorney David C. Weiss announced that Donte Jacobs, 31, of New Castle County, was sentenced today to 24 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews.  Jacobs had previously been convicted at trial of distributing and conspiring to distribute fentanyl-laced heroin that resulted in the death of a 26-year-old woman.  Jacobs had also pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm recovered during the investigation. 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jacobs had a longstanding agreement to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl-laced heroin with others in the region.  By the end of June 2016, Jacobs was distributing fentanyl-laced heroin packaged with a “BUTTER” stamp on it.  On June 28, 2016, one of Jacobs’ sub-distributors sold those “BUTTER”-stamped drugs to the victim, whose identity is listed in court documents as T.A.  Hours later, in New Garden Township, Pennsylvania, the victim used those drugs and died from a fentanyl overdose.  Toxicology records showed that T.A. had 26 ng/ml of fentanyl in her blood stream when she died.  Testimony at trial showed that this was clearly a lethal amount of fentanyl.

Members of what is now the Southern Chester County Police Department worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration to investigate T.A.’s death.  Law enforcement first arrested the sub-distributor who directly sold the “BUTTER”-stamped bags of fentanyl-laced heroin to T.A.  Officers then recorded a conversation between that sub-distributor and Jacobs, wherein Jacobs acknowledged his involvement in distributing the “BUTTER”-stamped drugs.  During the call, Jacobs also explained to his sub-distributor how people, “OD on Fentanyl” and how fentanyl and heroin were causing people to “die every day.”

“Jacobs distributed thousands of bags of heroin into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss. “As his statement indicates, Jacobs was willing to accept the possibility that customers would die after using his drugs.  We are not.  If you knowingly sell a substance that may contain fentanyl and that substance causes death, we will hold you accountable.  In this case, for the Defendant, that means he will spend the next 24 years in jail.”

“Jacobs was convicted of distributing and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl-laced heroin that resulted in the overdose death of a woman in Pennsylvania,” said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division.  “Illicit fentanyl has claimed thousands of lives across our region in Delaware and Pennsylvania.  That Jacobs knew that fentanyl and heroin was causing people to “die every day” but sold it anyway shows his utter disregard for the members of our communities and the law.  The DEA greatly appreciates the work of U.S. Attorney’s Office throughout this investigation.”  

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe and Jesse S. Wenger prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 01:19-cr-094.

Original source can be found here.