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Press Release
Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Lorton man was sentenced today to 22 years in prison for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a young woman.
According to court documents, Julian Velasquez, 36, distributed counterfeit Xanax containing fentanyl to E.M., which caused E.M.’s death by accidental fentanyl intoxication. On August 8, 2020, E.M. flew from California to visit Velasquez and was staying with Velasquez at his residence. Sometime during the late evening hours of August 8, 2020, or the morning of August 9, 2020, E.M. took a pressed Xanax pill laced with fentanyl provided by Velasquez. On August 9, 2020, Velasquez found E.M. unresponsive but he did not call 911 or seek medical assistance for E.M. Velasquez instead called his friend and drug customer, Enoel Comsti, 27, of Vienna, to assist in removing evidence of drug use and drug distribution from the crime scene at Velasquez’s residence.
Prior to Comsti’s arrival, Velasquez sold heroin to another drug customer at his residence. Velasquez collected evidence of drug use and distribution, to include drug paraphernalia and narcotics, from his residence and Comsti drove him to a storage unit so that Velasquez could conceal the evidence from authorities prior to reporting the overdose death of E.M. Comsti’s vehicle became inoperable prior to arrival at the storage unit, and Velasquez continued on foot to the storage unit prior to returning to his residence without Comsti. Velasquez distributed heroin to Comsti in exchange for Comsti’s assistance in removing and concealing evidence of the drug overdose from the residence. After Velasquez returned to his residence, he called 911 to request medical assistance for E.M. During the 911 call, Velasquez made false statements to emergency medical services regarding E.M.’s current condition, what had transpired, and Velasquez denied the possibility of E.M. suffering from a drug overdose. Emergency medical services arrived at Velasquez’s residence and found E.M. deceased in Velasquez’s bedroom.
In addition to admitting to causing E.M.’s death, Velasquez also admitted to distributing narcotics to several other individuals who, after using the drugs distributed by Velasquez, suffered drug overdoses. Those additional overdoses included several non-fatal overdoses, as well as the fatal overdoses of M.S. in 2017 and K.M. in 2018. All of the other overdoses occurred prior to the distribution of fentanyl to E.M. that caused her fatal overdose.
Comsti pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting tampering with evidence and was sentenced to 21 months in prison.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Bredemeier and Bibeane Metsch 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 are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-287 and Case No. 1:21-cr-243.