Fentanyl dealer pleads guilty to second-degree murder in El Dorado County
(FOX40.COM) — The El Dorado County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday that Kamal Babatunde Yusuf has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the fentanyl-related death of 20-year-old Gillian Murray. •Video above: How deadly is fentanyl?
EDCDA stated that Yusuf will be sentenced to 15 to life on May 23, 2025. This is the maximum possible sentence allowed under the law for second-degree murder.
'This conviction establishes clear accountability for fentanyl dealers whose actions result in death. The defendant was fully aware of the lethal nature of the substances he distributed and continued his activities with reckless disregard for human life. This prosecution reflects the gravity of the fentanyl crisis and the legal consequences that will follow,' said District Attorney Vern Pierson.
On May 6, 2022, EDCDA said that Yusuf sold counterfeit blue M30 oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to Murray and her boyfriend in a Taco Bell parking lot in Folsom. Murray and her boyfriend went home and consumed one pill each.
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When Murray's boyfriend woke up, he found her unresponsive, not breathing, and called 911, EDCDA said.
When emergency responders arrived at the scene, they pronounced Murray dead and subsequent toxicology results revealed that she died from acute fentanyl poisoning, stated EDCDA.
After Murray's death, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office, the Western El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team, along other WENET detectives, started to investigate the case which revealed the following:
EDCDA stated that Yusuf conducted the sale through Snapchat under the username 'Mr. Sneeze.' Snapchat messages were retrieved by forensics teams which confirmed his awareness of the drug's potency. He told the buyer to 'start with a half' to avoid overdose, demonstrating the knowledge of its lethal background.
A search warrant was issued at Yusuf's residence which resulted in the seizure of thousands of counterfeit fentanyl-laced M30 pills. When authorities found the surveillance footage, it showed hand-to-hand narcotics transactions linked to Yusuf, said EDCDA
Authorities said that Yufus had personally overdosed on fentanyl before this offense, proving he was aware of its extreme risk. Even though he knew the risk, Yusuf continued to distribute fentanyl-laced substances.
When in custody, Yusuf was recorded in jailhouse calls instructing his brother and associates to erase data from his phone to ruin the investigation and revealed further evidence of his guilt, said EDCDA.
EDCDA posted on their Facebook, 'The successful prosecution of this case is the result of collaboration between agencies. Special thanks to Sergeant Mike Roberts of the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew De Moura of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California.'
Sentencing will take place on May 23rd, said EDCDA. Yusuf has waived his right to appeal his sentence.
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