Brandon Wagner, Heroin Distribution, Ohio 2024

Berea man indicted for selling heroin that killed Lakewood man

A two-count indictment was filed in federal court charging Brandon Wagner, 43, with distributing heroin that killed a Lakewood man earlier this year, said Carole S. Rendon, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The indictment charges Wagner with one count of distribution of heroin and one count of using a communication facility to facilitate a felony. The charges stem from the March 16 sale of heroin that resulted in the death of another person, according to the indictment.

The count carries a sentencing enhancement that can result in a 20-year mandatory minimum penalty.

‘The unrelenting wave of fatalities associated with heroin and opioid abuse is a reminder to all of us that we need to do more to protect our community from this epidemic,’ Rendon said. ‘The only way we can stem this tide is with a comprehensive approach focused on prevention, treatment, prescribing practices and enforcement. Law enforcement will continue to aggressively prosecute dealers whose actions result in the deaths of our sons and daughters.’

‘The crisis we have in our communities due to heroin and fentanyl is not a problem for just the addicted,’ said Lakewood Police Chief Tim Malley. ‘The families and friends are just as intimately involved with the damage and sorrow this causes. The Lakewood Police Department will continue to investigate all of our overdose cases to hold those accountable that have participated in any way in ending someone’s life.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Darden following an investigation by the Lakewood Police Department and the Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force. The NOLETF is a task force comprised of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cleveland Division of Police, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the police departments of Cleveland Heights, Euclid, Lakewood, the Regional Transit Authority, Westlake and Shaker Heights.

The defendant, Brandon Wagner, is a 43-year-old resident of Berea, Ohio. The charges against him include one count of distribution of heroin and one count of using a communication facility to facilitate a felony.

Defendant: Brandon Wagner

Criminal Charges: Distribution of heroin and using a communication facility to facilitate a felony

City and State: Berea, Ohio

Exact Date: March 16

Sentence: 20-year mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction

Defendant’s Status: Currently pending indictment

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