Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that a federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment charging Willie A. Pratt, 33, and Darryl L. Roberts, 31, both of Cleveland, Ohio, with distributing fentanyl that led to an overdose death.
According to court records, on October 31, 2021, officers with the Rocky River Police Department responded to a residence for a call of a possible drug overdose. Upon arrival, police identified the deceased and discovered a substance, later identified as a cocaine and fentanyl mixture and a cell phone on the decedent.
Court records state that officers investigated the incident and determined the alleged drug supplier’s number in the victim’s phone. On November 1, 2021, investigators arranged a meeting with the alleged drug supplier ostensibly to purchase more drugs and arrested defendants Pratt and Roberts in connection with the investigation.
During the arrest, it is alleged that law enforcement officers obtained detectable amounts of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl from both defendants. In addition, court documents state that investigators obtained the cell phone defendant Pratt used to communicate with the decedent.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.
In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the DEA and Rocky River Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Payum Doroodian.