Heroin Dealer Sentenced for Selling Fatal Dose of Fentanyl

Harrisonburg, Va.– A West Virginia man, who sold a fatal dose of fentanyl-laced pain pills, was sentenced this week to 11 years in federal prison.

Gregory Allen Sirk, 48, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty in May 2022 to knowingly distributing acetyl fentanyl and fentanyl.

“Throughout the Western District of Virginia, we have seen record numbers of drug poisoning deaths - many as a result of adulterated pills,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “We will continue to work with our partners both in the law enforcement community and the recovery community to prosecute the most serious offenders and provide treatment for those fighting substance abuse disorder.”

According to court documents, Sirk was a well-known drug dealer who routinely obtained heroin and pain pills from Baltimore for resale in the Winchester, Virginia area. In February 2019, Sirk sold two foil packets of heroin to a family member and her boyfriend. Both individuals ingested the drugs, watched a movie, and went to bed.

However, the following morning, the victim was not breathing. Law enforcement and emergency medical services were called to the home but he was pronounced dead and it was later determined he died from accidental acute combined fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl poisoning.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force, which is comprised of the Winchester Police Department, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, the Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, the Front Royal Police Department, the Page County Sheriff’s Office, the Strasburg Police Department, and the Virginia State Police, investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.