Safety Harbor man charged with distributing fentanyl, causing death to one individual and serious injury to another
TAMPA, Fla. – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging David Burkes, 51, of Safety Harbor, with conspiring to distribute a substance that contained a mixture of fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl, causing the death of one individual and the serious injury to another. If convicted, Burkes faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
According to court documents and information presented in court, beginning on Aug. 12, 2019, Burkes distributed fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl, to two individuals. The two individuals snorted the substance. A short time later, one of the individuals lost control of the vehicle the two were riding in, veered into a Walgreens parking lot, and overdosed. Medical personnel found the two individuals on the ground in the parking lot. They successfully revived one of the individuals, while the other died.
Between Aug. 13, 2019, and Aug. 15, 2019, after the fatal overdose, Burkes continued to distribute narcotics to undercover officers in Safety Harbor.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Tampa District Office and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office. It will be prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
More information about this case can be found at the US District Court Middle District of Florida website or https://ecf.flmd.uscourts.gov
