A 23-year-old resident of Colorado Springs, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
The announcement was made by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
According to the plea agreement, on July 4, 2021, the defendant met 19-year-old Kaeden Norlander at Cottonwood Creek Park in Colorado Springs for a drug deal they had arranged through text messages. At the park, the defendant sold the victim two blue pills with imprints which said “M” and “30.” Although the pills appeared to be prescription oxycodone pills, they actually contained fentanyl. Over the course of the next day, the victim ingested both pills. Late in the morning on July 5, the victim’s aunt discovered him dead in his bedroom. The El Paso County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy on July 6, 2021, and ruled his death was the result of fentanyl intoxication.
The plea agreement also states, after the young man’s death, officers found text messages on his phone which appeared to relate to him buying the pills that killed him. A Colorado Springs Police detective used the victim’s phone to communicate with the defendant, and arranged to buy five pills which he described as “30s.” After the transaction, the Colorado Springs Police Department Metro Crime Lab tested the five blue pills and determined they contained fentanyl. A search of the defendant’s apartment led to the discovery of 1,089 dosage units of 30mg morphine sulfate pills packaged in 13 small zip-top baggies with crosses on them, 108 dosage units of 200mcg fentanyl buccal tablets in the manufacturer’s packaging, two blue tablets with “M” and “30” imprinted on them, which contained fentanyl, one loaded semi-automatic 9mm handgun, and a second loaded 9mm magazine.
Judge Daniel D. Domenico sentenced the defendant on January 5, 2023. “Selling these drugs these days is not the same as selling drugs before. It’s like shooting a gun randomly out in public, you never know what these pills may do what it did here,” said Judge Daniel D. Domenico before imposing the sentence of 240 months, followed by three years of supervised release.
“This is the longest sentence to date in federal court in Colorado for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, and it should send a loud and clear message to drug dealers and drug traffickers. Our law enforcement partners will track you down and we will prosecute you if you peddle this poison in our communities,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “Lives are at stake, and we will use every available tool to combat this deadly epidemic and stop these tragic losses.”
“Fentanyl is insidious in many of the communities in our state, and FBI Denver has made it a priority to assist our local law enforcement partners in these tragic cases,” said FBI Denver Acting Special Agent in Charge Leonard Carollo. “In this instance, working with the Colorado Springs Police Department, we were able to bring to justice the drug dealer who was responsible for the death of a young man. This sentence means there is one less dealer peddling tainted pills to unsuspecting teens and other members of our community.”
“Fentanyl is a drug that destroys lives, and the Colorado Springs Police Department is committed to holding individuals responsible whose actions rip apart families,” said Chief of Police Adrian Vasquez. “We thank all of our federal partners for moving forward on federal charges and helping to remove Mr. Corser from our streets.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Denver Division and the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Metro, Vice, Narcotics, and Intelligence Division (Metro VNI). Assistant United States Attorneys Peter McNeilly and Alyssa Mance are handling the prosecution.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF is a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
CASE NUMBER: 21-cr-00331
With permission from Laurie Norlander
Victim Kaeden Norlander and his mother, Laurie Norlander