Drug Dealer Gets A Mere 5 Years In Prison For Giving Pills That Led To An Overdose Death. Here's why.

The light sentence was due to the fact the dealer did not intentionally cause the high schooler’s death, but her killing was the result of his disregard for her safety, according to federal prosecutors.

Federal officials announced on Monday that Gage Pascoe, 23, was sentenced to about five years in prison for causing a high school classmate’s death.

He previously pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl.

Pascoe admitted that in June 2020, a former high school classmate came to his house to buy oxycodone pills, according to prosecutors. The dealer sold the victim 13 pills, which later tested positive for fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a powerful opioid often mixed with other drugs, but a small amount can be deadly.

The next morning, the victim was found dead in her bed and the bag he sold Pascoe was found in her bedroom, prosecutors said.

Federal attorneys noted Pascoe did not cause the death, but his behavior led to her overdose. He told the victim he would buy the pills from a street source. Government officials say buying oxycodone on the street is dangerous.

Federal data showed four out of 10 street pills contained a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.

Prosecutors argued that Pascoe basically “played Russian roulette” with the victim’s life.

In addition to the prison term, Pascoe will also have to serve five years of supervised release and cover the victim’s funeral costs.