WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss announced that Michael Younger, 45, a New Castle County man, was sentenced yesterday to 94 months in prison for distributing fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews pronounced sentence. The government argued at sentencing that Younger continued selling deadly fentanyl despite knowing that the drugs he sold were causing overdose deaths.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Younger is a career offender, with two prior convictions for serious drug offenses. The Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) began investigating Younger in early January 2021, after receiving information suggesting that Younger supplied fentanyl that caused the overdose death of a person. While under investigation, Younger sold additional fentanyl to a government cooperator on February 4, 2021. During that transaction, Younger told the cooperator that a second customer had died of an overdose after ingesting Younger’s drugs. As a result, Younger changed the stamp he used to brand his fentanyl because Younger thought that law enforcement could trace that stamp to him. The government’s investigation revealed that Younger’s other customer had indeed died of drug overdose in late January 2021.
The drugs Younger sold contained not only fentanyl but also xylazine, a horse tranquilizer. Recently, xylazine has been commonly used as an additive included within fentanyl baggies.
U.S. Attorney Weiss commented on the sentencing, “Investigating and prosecuting those who knowingly sell drugs that kill continues to be a top priority for my office and our law enforcement partners. As overdoses continue to ravage our community, those who profit from illegal fentanyl sales can and will face justice. And if customers die from your drugs, you are facing the prospect of decades in prison.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer K. Welsh prosecuted the case. The case was investigated by the DEA and the New Castle County Police Department.
The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to helping those who suffer from substance abuse. If you need help, drug treatment information is available any time through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Treatment Referral Routing Service, found online at dpt2.samhsa.gov/treatment/ or by dialing 1.888.545.2600.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-00004.