Davenport Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Distributing Heroin Resulting in an Overdose Deaths

DAVENPORT, IA – On November 27, 2018, Larry Lazzez Bolden, age 50, of Davenport, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 360 months of imprisonment after pleading guilty to Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Bolden was ordered to serve a period of supervised release of five years to follow his prison term and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

Bolden pleaded guilty to the charge on June 27, 2018. On December 28, 2016; January 7, 2017; January 29, 2017; and January 31, 2017; Bolden distributed a mixture or substance containing heroin to a confidential source. On January 20, 2017, T.Z., N.S., and another individual traveled to the Knights Inn hotel in Davenport, for the purpose of purchasing heroin. T.Z. had previously arranged to purchase $40 in heroin from Bolden. While at the Knight’s Inn hotel, T.Z. obtained heroin from Bolden. After obtaining the substance, the three individuals traveled to T.Z.’s apartment in Rock Island, Illinois, where they ingested the heroin. Within moments, N.S. lost consciousness and died shortly thereafter. Autopsy results confirmed N.S. died due to the “adverse effects of morphine, furanyl fentanyl, and acryl fentanyl.” As part of the plea agreement, Bolden agreed that N.S. would not have died but for the use of the substance Bolden supplied T.Z. on January 20, 2017. Further, Bolden admitted the purported heroin he distributed to T.Z. on January 20, 2017, resulted in the death of N.S. and that N.S.’s death was not merely from a combination of factors to which drug use merely contributed.

During the evening of January 29, 2017, E.M. and two other individuals drove to the Knight’s Inn hotel in Davenport for the purpose of obtaining heroin. E.M. had contacted Bolden’s cellular telephone to arrange the transaction. E.M. went into the Knight’s Inn and obtained the substance. The three of them then drove back to E.M.’s residence in Moline, Illinois, where they ingested the substance shortly thereafter. E.M. was found the next morning (January 30, 2017) deceased. Autopsy results confirmed E.M. died due to the “adverse effects of morphine, furanyl fentanyl, and acryl fentanyl.” Bolden admited E.M. arranged the transaction with the cellular phone belonging to Bolden, and that the transaction took place in the hotel room belonging to Bolden.

This matter was investigated by the Davenport and Rock Island Police Departments.

This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.