FORT COLLINS, Colo. — A drug dealer who sold fentanyl to a Fort Collins woman who died from an overdose was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison in a first-of-its-kind case for Colorado prosecutors.
According to a release from the Larimer County District Attorney's Office, Andrea Branco, 40, sold the fentanyl that killed Kara Gorman, 24, in September 2022.
Branco pleaded guilty to fentanyl distribution causing death, a class 1 drug felony, in August. She was the first person in Colorado to be charged under the new law.
Federal prosecutors had already been able to charge someone for distributing fentanyl resulting in death, but before July 2022, that statute was not available to state prosecutors.
“I am incredibly proud of the collaboration we’ve had in Larimer County that has allowed us to achieve this first-of-its-kind result,” said 8th Judicial District Attorney Gordon P. McLaughlin in a statement. “Today’s sentence marks a turning point in our ability to hold those committing murder with fentanyl accountable and proves these laws are a successful piece of combating the fentanyl epidemic.”
Gorman's mother and stepfather spoke at the sentencing hearing.
"She will forever be missed," her stepfather told the court.
The DA's office said Branco distributed illegal drugs to multiple users and began a conversation with Gorman to entice her to buy drugs, ultimately selling her four fentanyl pills and providing the means to use them.
“I worked last year at the Capitol to pass this law to ensure we had the tools to find justice for victims,” McLaughlin said. “When it comes to users of fentanyl, we remain committed to prioritizing behavioral health resources and treatment, but this new law allows us to hold the worst actors accountable and find some sense of justice for the victims. My deepest condolences go out to Ms. Gorman’s family and friends.”
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