Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of a criminal complaint and arrest charging Isaiah Reed (30, Tampa) with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and fentanyl. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
According to the criminal complaint, on September 19, 2019, Reed sold a victim a controlled substance that contained fentanyl. The victim injected the substance, became unresponsive, and died. The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the victim suffered an accidental death caused by the combined effects of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
The case is part of the Middle District of Florida’s anti-opioid strategy to combat opioid trafficking and abuse. It was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
