Northern Colorado fentanyl dealer sentenced to 25 years in prison for 15-year-old's fatal overdose
A Northern Colorado man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in supplying fentanyl to a teenage boy. Samuel Strait was sentenced Tuesday afternoon by 8th Judicial District Judge Daniel McDonald.
Strait, 32, was prosecuted and convicted for his role in the 2022 overdose death of the teenager. CBS News Colorado has agreed not to publish the name of the victim due to his age.
Strait sold the 15-year-old fentanyl pills late at night in July of 2022.
Investigators with the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force said the boy contacted Strait multiple times seeking access to fentanyl pills. The boy, who had a history of addiction, was labeled as "Black boy" in Strait's contacts. Police say that proved he knew the boy was a juvenile.
Prosecutors said the victim's age was "the most egregious factor" in the entire case.
Strait was seen shaking his head in disbelief and disagreement at times during his sentencing on Tuesday. However, he pleaded guilty in the case prior to the sentencing.
He sat and watched a screen as the victim's family showed pictures of the boy. The family then followed their memories by showing photos and videos of the boy in the ICU at Children's Hospital Colorado after his overdose.
Strait sat silently and watched the photos and videos with no apparent facial reaction.
The family, investigators and prosecutors all called on McDonald to sentence Strait to the maximum punishment of 25 years in prison.
His lawyer argued Strait had taken all of the responsibility that he could and Strait's father asked for leniency after saying his son's good nature was destroyed by opioids. His lawyer also argued that Strait did not directly hand the drugs that killed the boy to him but rather handed them to someone else to be delivered. The lawyer said that the distributor should be the one being held accountable.
Strait is among the first Coloradans to be held accountable for a fatal fentanyl overdose under Colorado's new "distribution of fentanyl resulting in death" law.
That law -- HB22-1326 -- was created in 2022 to create greater accountability for drug distributors. Larimer County is among the leaders in Colorado for the number of cases prosecuted under the new law.
Strait's lawyer accused the prosecution and the judge of promoting "show business" by allowing CBS News Colorado's camera and reporter to cover the sentencing and enforcement of Colorado's drug laws.
"This isn't about sending messages. This is about Mr. Strait paying his dues," Strait's lawyer said.
Strait voluntarily made a statement to the court prior to being sentenced, standing before the judge, shackled and wearing an orange jumpsuit.
"I'm terribly ashamed and embarrassed to say my actions led to a 15-year-old getting his hands on a drug," Strait said.
Strait said he acknowledged the burden he has placed on everyone's lives.
"I truly do believe coming to jail saved my life and was the only way I could beat my addiction to heroin," Strait said. "I will never go back to my old life. A healthy and successful life is in my future when I get my next chance."
The judge called the drug epidemic in the U.S. a "cancer" to society before sentencing Strait to 25 years in prison.
Strait appeared to be disappointed and briefly dropped his head as the sentence was read.
"This was truly a multi-agency investigation that illustrates the NCDTF's collaborative effort: A Loveland overdose death, investigated by Loveland detectives working together with a Fort Collins detective assigned to the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force, brought to a successful conclusion by 8th Judicial District Prosecutor Lynzi Maas," said Lt. Mark Hertz, commander of the NCDTF. "Fentanyl is a deadly drug that has claimed far too many lives in our community. Here in Larimer County, we will hold people accountable for their complicity in overdose deaths. Too many families have been disrupted and forever changed because of this deadly drug."