Montgomery County Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl that Led to an Overdose Death

Per the press release: The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Division; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Darryl McSwain of the Maryland National Capital Park Police; Chief Robert J. Contee III of the Metropolitan Police Department; and Chief Victor Brito of the City of Rockville Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, on August 10, 2020, just prior to Victim 1’s fatal overdose, Victim 1 contacted Agbi by telephone to obtain heroin/fentanyl.  Victim 1 agreed to meet Agbi at Hotel A in Gaithersburg, where Agbi was staying.  Victim 1 texted Agbi when Victim 1 arrived at the location and Agbi went out the Victim 1’s car to complete the transaction.  Surveillance video from Hotel A, as well as cell site location records, confirmed that Victim 1 was in the vicinity of the hotel and that Agbi left the hotel and walked towards Victim 1’s car.  A short time later, Victim 1’s car left the area and went straight home, without making any other stops.

At about 10:00 p.m. on August 10, 2020, Victim 1 was found dead in her bedroom.  Law enforcement officers located a clear plastic baggie containing .42 grams of fentanyl mixed with heroin and a straw next to Victim 1’s body.  No other people were in Victim 1’s residence at the time of Victim 1’s death and Victim 1 lived alone.  An autopsy determined that Victim 1’s cause of death was acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, despropionyl fentanyl, and morphine.  Victim 1 was an otherwise healthy individual.

After August 25, 2020, Agbi relocated to Hotel B in Germantown, Maryland.  On August 28, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Agbi’s hotel room in Hotel B.  Officers recovered approximately 10 clear plastic capsules containing a total of approximately 2.76 grams of fentanyl mixed with heroin, knotted bags containing a total of approximately 2.6 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl, and drug distribution paraphernalia, including a digital scale and sandwich bags used to package controlled substances (and which were consistent with the clear plastic baggie found with Victim 1 on August 10, 2020).

Following the search, Agbi was placed under arrest.  Agbi admitted that he was a user and distributor of opioid drugs and that he met with Victim 1 on August 10 at Hotel A and provided Victim 1 with opioid drugs.  He stated that Victim 1 used opioid drugs Agbi provided in his presence.

Agbi and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Agbi will be sentenced to 114 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for September 20, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.