St. Petersburg Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Fentanyl Distribution

prison barsPhoto byTim HüfneronUnsplash

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung sentenced Corey Gaddy, 31, of St. Petersburg, to 18 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, and two counts of fentanyl distribution. Gaddy was convicted on November 3, 2023, after a trial. His co-conspirator, Shawn Rodriguez, was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months on February 7, 2024.

Gaddy had been supplying opioids in Pinellas County since 2017. Rodriguez, one of his dealers, distributed opioids in the Madeira Beach area. In February 2019, during a traffic stop, the Largo Police Department found heroin hidden in Gaddy's pants. While on bond for this offense, Gaddy distributed fentanyl to Rodriguez on November 6, 2019. Rodriguez then supplied the fentanyl to K.E., who died from fentanyl toxicity the next morning. Despite knowing about K.E.'s death, Gaddy continued distributing opioids. In April 2020, while still on bond, Gaddy distributed opioids to J.P. and another individual. J.P. was found dead on a fishing boat two days later.

Gaddy's actions contributed to the opioid crisis in Pinellas County, leading to multiple overdose deaths.

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