Peterson Nozinord, Fentanyl Trafficking, Florida 2021

A South Florida fentanyl dealer has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in the overdose death of a 27-year-old man, according to a press release from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Peterson Nozinord, a 21-year-old fentanyl dealer, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after his product killed a man in Lantana, Florida, on May 20, 2021.

On May 19, 2021, Nozinord drove the victim to a motel in Lantana, Florida, and provided him with four fentanyl capsules. The next day, the Lantana Police Department responded to the motel on a request for a welfare check and found the victim's lifeless body with a needle in his hand.

During an investigation, police discovered that Nozinord used his identification to check the victim into the motel room and left the scene shortly after. A review of motel security cameras showed that the victim was dropped off at the motel and checked in by an individual operating a black Honda, which was later linked to Nozinord.

Police also found a backpack in the glove compartment of the black Honda containing an assortment of narcotics, including 16 capsules of suspected fentanyl, six baggies of suspected cocaine, and 35 tablets of suspected Xanax. Nozinord's identification and mail addressed to him were also found in the bag, along with $1,515 in cash.

Nozinord's DNA was found on a blue baggie and pill bottle containing narcotics inside the backpack, and a white baggie found next to the fentanyl pills in the decedent's motel room. The suspected fentanyl was later examined by the Palm Beach County Forensic Science Lab and determined to contain the same mixture of fentanyl, tramadol, xylazine, and cocaine as the capsules found in the victim's motel room.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lantana Police Department, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Dispoto and Shannon Shaw.

Nozinord's exact criminal charges were not specified in the press release, but he was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in the overdose death.

The case is a stark reminder of the dangers of fentanyl and the importance of holding those responsible for its distribution accountable.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/fentanyl-dealer-sentenced-20-years-prison-overdose-death