DENVER — A California man is being charged in connection to a deadly fentanyl overdose death in Denver last year.
Jamal Gamal, 30, faces one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. He is accused of selling fentanyl to Denver resident Collin Walker, 28, within 10 days of his overdose death on Nov. 19, according to the Denver District Attorney's Office.
According to an arrest affidavit, Walker had two unlabeled medicine bottles with 13 pills that tested positive for fentanyl and 14 pills that tested positive for bromazolam, which is commonly sold by drug dealers in place of Xanax/alprazolam.
Denver Police detectives were given information identifying Gamal as the person who sold Walker the fentanyl, the affidavit says. Investigators did not find any information suggesting Walker purchased drugs from any other sources.
They were also able to unlock Walker's phone with the help of a company named Cellebrite and extracted text messages between Walker and Gamal. The texts show the two men arranged multiple purchases of Xanax and Fentanyl, including a message on Nov. 13 where Walker appears to thank Gamal for drugs days before his death, according to the affidavit.
Detectives developed a relationship with Gamal and purchased drugs from him as part of a sting operation, the affidavit says.
After a purchase, Gamal allegedly sent more than 14 grams of fentanyl in February to detectives from California, where he lives, according to the affidavit.
Gamal was arrested by police in San Francisco on Aug. 18, and he is expected to be transferred to Denver on Sept. 16.
"The charges against Mr. Gamal should send the message that people who are accused of selling this poison in Denver will be prosecuted by my office to the fullest extent of the law,” said District Attorney Beth McCann said.