Lake Worth Man Gets 30 Years for Fentanyl Death

Christopher Sharod Massena, 25, of Palm Beach County, is going away for a long time after being sentenced to 360 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl that killed a 23-year-old man in Lake Worth. The sentence, handed down today, includes three years of supervised release following incarceration, marking one of the harshest penalties yet in South Florida’s escalating battle against synthetic opioids.

Massena was convicted of distributing a controlled substance resulting in death, a charge that carries a mandatory minimum under federal law when fentanyl is involved. According to court records, on February 18, 2016, Massena sold fentanyl—a Schedule II controlled substance—to the victim, who died shortly after ingesting it. The cause of death was confirmed as acute fentanyl toxicity, a fast-acting and often fatal condition that has claimed thousands across the U.S.

But this wasn’t Massena’s only offense. In the weeks following the fatal incident, investigators say he sold heroin and fentanyl-laced mixtures to an undercover officer on four separate occasions. On the day of his arrest, law enforcement found him in possession of heroin with clear intent to distribute, stacking another serious charge onto the growing case against him.

The bust was the result of a joint operation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), the West Palm Beach Police Department (WPBPD), and the Palm Beach Narcotics Task Force. Their coordinated sting put an end to a street-level dealer whose product turned deadly.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, announced the sentencing with no hesitation in crediting the relentless work of the investigative agencies. “This sentence sends a clear message,” Ferrer said. “Distributing poison like fentanyl doesn’t just break the law—it destroys lives. And we will hold dealers accountable, especially when someone dies.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case.

Related court documents are available through the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or via PACER at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov. Massena’s name now joins the grim tally of those behind bars in America’s opioid crisis—one dealer, one death, one 30-year sentence at a time.

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