MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – A federal judge has sentenced a Moncks Corner man to 25 years behind bars for selling fentanyl-laced tablets, the United States Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Prosecutors said Nathan Ott, 28, of Moncks Corner was sentenced after pleading guilty to distributing a pill sold as “Roxy” (a street name for Roxicodone, a pharmaceutical drug which is an opioid that contains oxycodone hydrochloride). The pill Ott sold contained fentanyl.
Ott pled guilty to violating a section of Title 21, the Controlled Substances Act. The indictment specifically charged that he distributed “fentanyl,” a Schedule II controlled substance, which resulted in the death of Matthew Hearne on May 27, 2021.
Information presented during the hearing showed that the victim had suffered painful injuries from a motorcycle accident three weeks prior to his death. On May 27, 2021, his girlfriend, Victoria Racioppa (also charged in the case) found Hearne in the morning, unresponsive and called 911.
The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, Coroner’s Office, and EMS all responded to his residence and found that Hearne had died during the night. The investigation revealed that Ott had “dropped off” what he claimed to be four “Roxy” pills for both Racioppa and Hearne.
Hearne had run out of his prescription medicine and was seeking to relieve the pain from his injuries. He took one of the pills during the evening of May 26, 2021. The autopsy showed that Hearne had a lethal amount of fentanyl in his body, which caused his death.
During the hearing, the prosecution noted that the nation was experiencing a surge in opioid and fentanyl poisoning deaths and argued that the tragic death of Matthew Hearne warranted a substantial sentence. Ott, the prosecutor said, knew or should have known that was selling a deadly product. After Hearne’s death, Ott continued to sell “Roxy.”
“Dealers like Ott, who know they are selling fentanyl-laced pills, show a callous disregard for human life,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “The fentanyl epidemic and the use of opioids is affecting our families, friends, and communities. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue people who push pills and advocate for strong sentences in federal court.”
United States District Court Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Ott to 300 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Judge Gergel also ordered restitution to be paid to the victim’s family in the amount of $8,000 for funeral and related costs.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, members of the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad and the Berkeley County’s Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Kittrell is prosecuting the case.
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