By Ricardo Roura
Nov 24, 2024, 8:50 PM EST
A Los Angeles man was charged with trafficking a drug three times more powerful than fentanylcausing a fatal overdose, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
Benjamin Anthony Collins, 21, of Santa Claritawas charged with one count of distribution of protonitazene, which, according to the DOJ, was what may be the first fatal criminal case in the United States involving this narcotic.
According to the indictment, Collins knowingly and intentionally sold the narcotic to a victim in the early morning hours of April 19, 2024.
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The United States Department of Justice He only identified the victim as a 22-year-old man. resident of Stevenson Ranch.
According to the Los Angeles Times, hours before his death, the victim contacted Collins for Percocet pillsand Collins sold him five oxycodone pills for $20 each.
The diary also included a count of text messages between the victim and Collins before the purchase agreement and which were shown in court documents.
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According to the report, the victim sent him a text message to request a real narcotic because his son had just died.
“Yes, brother, the same thing happens to my best friend. He died 3 days ago, he didn’t take fake pills,” said Collins, who mentioned that fake pills could trap him, so He tested his products and they came back negative each time..
The Justice Department said that shortly after the settlement, The 22-year-old took the pills in the front seat of his car and died almost immediately. His mother called 911 after she found him parked in front of her house.
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“In recent years, protonitazene has been sold over the Internet and believed to be several times more potent than fentanylwhich in turn is 50 times stronger than heroin,” the DOJ wrote in a statement.
According to the World Health Organization, protonitazene and other “nitazene” narcotics were first synthesized in the late 1950s as alternatives to morphine. but they were soon abandoned and were not given authorization for medical use.
The DOJ said that Collins, in addition to giving the victim the pills that caused her death, He also planned to sell her a large quantity of the same drug in the future..
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On November 18, Collins was arrestedand two days later, the defendant pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled for January 2025.
While his court date arrives, Collins is in custody of the authorities without the right to bail.
If convicted, Collins could face a sentence 20 years in federal prison to life in prison.
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