CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. – A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to nearly six to eight years in prison in connection to the death of a girl who overdosed on fentanyl toxicity.
According to a news release, Manuel Alejandro Acevedo is charged with selling fentanyl to the 38-year-old female victim, who was found dead by a family member on February 6, 2022.
During the investigation, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office found a cell phone with messages referring to a drug deal from Acevedo to the victim. This led to investigators interrogating the suspect where deputies say he admitted to knowing the victim and acknowledged selling substances in excess of $40 to her.
A death-by-distribution law went into effect in North Carolina in 2019.
“The Death by Distribution Act gives us the ability to prosecute individuals who sell drugs that lead to an overdose,” Prosecutorial District Attorney Scott Reilly said. “We are going after traffickers and dealers who are consciously aware of the deadly consequences that their product is bringing about and doing it anyway because they value money over human life.”
Acevedo will serve his confinement at the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.
