SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — Federico Rosario, a 30-year-old man from Scranton, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for his role in a drug distribution that led to the tragic death of a 17-year-old minor.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced the sentencing after Rosario was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and drug distribution resulting in death. In July 2021, Rosario sold small quantities of cocaine to the minor victim. On August 11, 2021, he sold the victim 0.4 grams of a substance represented as cocaine.
Less than 30 minutes after consuming the substance, the victim messaged Rosario, expressing concerns that the substance was affecting him like alcohol. The victim sent another message eight seconds later but received no response from Rosario. The next morning, the victim was found dead in his room.
A laboratory analysis confirmed that the substance sold to the victim was a mixture of cocaine and fentanyl. Toxicology results revealed fatal levels of fentanyl, which is 50-100 times more potent than morphine, in the victim’s system.
During a four-day jury trial, expert testimony confirmed that the victim’s death was caused by the toxic level of fentanyl, and that without it, the victim would have likely survived.
At the conclusion of the trial, the jury found Rosario guilty on three counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of drug distribution resulting in death.
