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Press Release

Hampton Man Sentenced for Heroin Overdose Death

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Virginia

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced to 20 years in prison today for his role in distributing heroin to a person who overdosed and died.

Robert Alan Durkee, 58, pleaded guilty on March 10. According to court documents, in November 201, Durkee sold heroin that contained fentanyl to co-defendant Julie Rae Rock, who then gave the heroin to the victim, identified in court documents as E.H., at a hotel in Newport News. The victim almost immediately fell to the ground. Rock left E.H., and his body was recovered later that day by hotel staff. E.H.’s cause of death was determined to be acute combined heroin and fentanyl intoxication.

Durkee was arrested by the Newport News Police Department on June 29, 2016, and admitted to purchasing over 700 grams of heroin from June 2015 until the time of his arrest.

 

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; and Richard W. Myers, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan M. Cowles and Lisa R. McKeel prosecuted the case.

 

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:16-cr-84.

Contact

Joshua Stueve
Director of Communications
joshua.stueve@usdoj.gov

Updated June 8, 2017

Topic
Drug Trafficking