Source: United States Attorneys General
Headline: Illinois Man Sentenced to Three Years’ Prison After Distributing Heroin that Caused Overdose in Dubuque
A man who distributed heroin to a customer who overdosed was sentenced today to three years in federal prison.
Derrick Devale White, age 25, from Markham, Illinois, received the prison term after an August 9, 2017 guilty plea to possessing with intent to distribute heroin within 1,000 feet of a playground and two schools.
Evidence at sentencing showed that White distributed approximately 1 gram of heroin to a man on July 17, 2017. The man used the heroin and then lost consciousness. The man’s father called 911 and reported that his son was suffering from a heroin overdose, and that he was not breathing well. Emergency responders arrived at the scene and found the man unconscious, with labored breathing. When police officers attempted to move the man, he became responsive and sat up. White admitted in a plea agreement that, the day after the overdose, an undercover officer sent him a text message and ordered another gram of heroin. Shortly thereafter, White arrived at the proposed meeting location, which was within 1,000 feet of a playground, an elementary school, and a middle school. He was arrested in possession of approximately .6 gram of heroin.
White was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. White was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a 6-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
White is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-10310LRR.
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