Buffalo Man Sentenced For Distributing Fentanyl Which Resulted In Death

CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Carlique DeBerry, 40, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of distribution of fentanyl causing death, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan T. Cullinane and Wei Xiang, who handled the case, stated that on February 25, 2016, the defendant traveled to Hamburg, NY, shortly after 9:00 p.m. to the home of a repeat drug customer identified as R.G. DeBerry sold a quantity of “heroin” to R.G. then left. Shortly after midnight, R.G.'s mother found R.G. slumped over deceased in a chair. 

Law enforcement officers who responded to the residence seized R.G.'s cell phone. The next morning, the defendant sent a text message to R.G. stating, "Call me wen u get this bro." A police officer pretending to be R.G. responded, leading to the following exchange with the defendant:

“R.G.”:           Yo my mins are about used. What's up? That was some good (expletive) last night
Defendant:     K Just checkn on u thts all
“R.G.”:           That was some heavy stuff wtf was up w thay
Defendant:    Its pure thats whats up wit it bro

Deberry then arranged to sell another bundle of the “heroin” for $100.

An autopsy determined that R.G.’s cause of death was acute fentanyl intoxication.

Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, and the Hamburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gregory Wickett.

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