PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A Port St. Lucie man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after police said he sold fentanyl to a man who later died of an overdose.
Edwin Thompson, 32, accepted the prison sentence on March 1 in a plea deal. He was arrested by Port St. Lucie police back in October on numeorus felony charges, including manslaughter, sale and delivery of fentanyl and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, relating to the overdose death of Michael McGaffin, 34.
Police said McGaffin was found dead in his car by his brother. An investigation revealed text messages between Thompson and McGaffin inquiring about the drugs and that Thompson sold McGaffin fentanyl for $20 and was paid via Cash App.
Florida passed a law in 2017 that allows law enforcement to charge anyone who sells a fatal dose of fentanyl with first-degree murder. However, until now, Port St. Lucie police said they hadn't had a case of this kind.
“The successful conclusion of this investigation was due to the relentless follow-up of the detectives involved who did so on behalf of the victim’s family," Port St. Lucie Police Chief Richard Del Toro said. "The Port St. Lucie Police Department will continue to pursue these types of investigations in an effort to combat the proliferation of fentanyl.”