Tampa Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in Death
A Tampa man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for distributing narcotics that resulted in death. Jared Collins, 28, of Pasco County, was sentenced on April 27, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber.
According to the plea agreement, on December 16, 2019, Collins distributed narcotics to M.B. in Wesley Chapel. M.B. injected the narcotics and died. M.B. was found by family members, who immediately called 911. Deputies from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and located a hypodermic syringe and a plastic bag, both of which tested positive for fentanyl.
Law enforcement also recovered a cellphone that revealed that Collins had supplied M.B. with narcotics earlier that day. The next day, deputies from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office arrested Collins as he was attempting to again distribute narcotics. Two syringes were found in his car, and two hypodermic syringes and a spoon with residue were found in his pocket, all of which tested positive for fentanyl.
A federal search warrant was executed at Collins’s residence. Law enforcement officers recovered numerous items of drug paraphernalia, empty capsules containing traces of fentanyl, assorted spoons, straws, clear baggies, and approximately 20 syringes from his bedroom.
The Medical Examiner’s Office for Pasco and Pinellas Counties determined that M.B.’s cause of death was fentanyl toxicity. On March 26, 2020, after bonding out of state custody, Collins again distributed fentanyl, this time to a law enforcement confidential source. The substance Collins distributed tested positive for fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Mandatory Facts:
- Defendant: Jared Collins
- Criminal Charges: Distributing narcotics resulting in death
- City and State: Tampa, Florida
- Date: April 27, 2021
- Sentence: 20 years in prison
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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