LAKEWOOD, Colo. — The man who was the first person charged by prosecutors in Jefferson County with fentanyl distribution resulting in death pleaded guilty on Tuesday.
Brock Nieuwendorp sold fentanyl to 25-year-old Catherine Hackim on multiple occasions including April, 28, which is the day she died, according to the 1st Judicial District Attorney's Office. He was the person charged in Jefferson County under the new law in Colorado which increased penalties for some drug crimes.
On April 29, agents from the Lakewood Police Department (LPD) were dispatched to Hackim's apartment for a welfare check. Her parents reported that they had been unable to contact her.
After entering her apartment, agents found Hackim deceased on her couch, the DA's Office said. She had no apparent injuries; however, agents were aware that Hackim was known to use fentanyl.
They later located a drawer in the bathroom with a small bag of blue M30 fentanyl pills.
According to an arrest affidavit, Hackim's parents were able to obtain some information from her cellphone provider. They suspected that a person named "Brock Nie" might have supplied her with drugs. They noted that Hackim had made several payments to "Brock Nie" through Cash App.
Her parents were able to provide investigators with several codes they thought might work to unlock Hackim's phone. One of them worked, and they found an exchange of text messages between her and Nieuwendorp made on April 28.
In the exchange, Hackim asks Nieuwendorp if he's "still selling." They met up at some point and agreed that Nieuwendorp would make a drop at her apartment under her doormat. Just after 8 p.m., he sends Hackim a message that says, "It's there."
Investigators also found 16 Cash App payments to Nieuwendorp since February. The payments show his full name and included a photo that appeared to match Nieuwendorp.
At the time of Hackim's death, he was serving probation related to a criminal case in Douglas County. He also has a separate pending criminal case in Denver for weapons and drug charges.
He was the person charged under a new law in Colorado that increased penalties for some drug crimes. Nieuwendorp faces between 12 and 32 years behind bars when sentenced in March for the Jefferson County case.
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