ST. LOUIS, MO – David Bollinger, a resident of St. Charles, Missouri, will spend the next 130 months behind bars after being sentenced today for his role in the heroin-fueled death of Mitchell Stenger. Bollinger, convicted of knowingly and intentionally distributing the deadly drug, faced the music before United States District Judge Carol E. Jackson.
The grim details, laid bare during sentencing, revealed a callous disregard for human life. Testimony showed that on December 3, 2014, Stenger reached out to Bollinger, requesting heroin. Initially hesitant, Bollinger ultimately undertook a 60-mile round trip from his Cottleville home to St. Louis City to secure the drugs, then delivered them directly to Stenger. This wasn’t a simple transaction; Bollinger was acutely aware of Stenger’s precarious health condition.
Stenger, battling severe asthma and undergoing monthly Vivitrol injections – a medication designed to block the effects of heroin – was playing a dangerous game. Dr. Stacey Hail, an Emergency Department physician at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas, explained the deadly dynamic to the court. Vivitrol, while intended to aid recovery, creates a situation where users desperate for a high will escalate their dosage, dramatically increasing their risk of overdose. Bollinger knew this.
In a chilling admission to police following Stenger’s death, Bollinger confessed he knew Stenger was pushing the limits with increasingly large amounts of heroin in a desperate attempt to override the Vivitrol’s effects. His final words to the victim, a flippant “dude, be careful,” now ring with sickening irony. Bollinger pleaded guilty in July 2016 to one felony count of distribution of heroin.
Judge Jackson didn’t mince words. She stated unequivocally that Stenger would be alive today “but for” Bollinger’s distribution of heroin, characterizing the offense as deserving of a substantial punishment. The sentence reflects the severity of the crime and the devastating consequences of the opioid epidemic that continues to grip the nation.
The investigation, a collaborative effort between the Cottleville Police Department, the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, brought Bollinger to justice. This case serves as a stark reminder of the lethal consequences of drug trafficking and the responsibility of those who profit from the misery of others. Bollinger’s 130-month sentence is a small measure of justice for a life lost to the streets.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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