TAMPA, Fla. – Jackylin Bonifacio, 38, Tampa, has been sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison for distribution of heroin and fentanyl, resulting in death.
Bonifacio pleaded guilty on February 12, 2021. The court previously sentenced her codefendant, Leslie Pagan, to 20 years in prison for her role in the offense.
According to testimony and court documents, Pagan obtained heroin and fentanyl from a supplier and provided it to Bonifacio and other coconspirators, who in turn distributed the substances to individuals in Hillsborough County.
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On December 19, 2019, Bonifacio provided fentanyl to a Tampa woman who, believing it was heroin, ingested the fentanyl. The next morning, the woman was found dead in her home.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office investigated the overdose death and identified Bonifacio as the person who had distributed the fentanyl to the victim. On December 20, 2019, Bonifacio was arrested and found in possession of 25 baggies of fentanyl, packaged for distribution.
The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined that the victim died from ingestion of substances, including heroin and fentanyl.
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A toxicologist analyzed the baggies recovered from Bonifacio and residue from a syringe found near the victim at the time of the overdose and determined that they contained similar mixtures of fentanyl and Xylazine. Based on the circumstances of the death and the toxicology from the autopsy, the Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the use of the fentanyl caused the victim’s death.
A joint investigation led by the FBI identified Pagan as Bonifacio’s supplier. Pagan was arrested on September 1, 2020, and investigators recovered 97 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl, heroin, and Xylazine, and more than $105,000 from her residence.
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