WILMINGTON, DEL. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Delaware), published as received.

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Wilson Colon-Sierra, 33, of Elkton, Maryland was sentenced earlier this week in federal court in Delaware for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that resulted in the heroin overdose death of Jennifer Rodick of Wilmington, Delaware. 

According to court documents and statements made in open court, Jennifer Rodick overdosed on a bag of heroin on January 3, 2018.  After an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and New Castle County Police Department, witness statements and phone location data established that Colon-Sierra had sold the bag of heroin that was ultimately used by Jennifer Rodick.

Colon-Sierra was arrested in his home in Elkton, Maryland in March 2018 in possession of over 160 grams of heroin and 82 grams of crack cocaine, which he admitted that he conspired to distribute.

Chief United States District Judge Leonard P. Stark found that Colon-Sierra’s drug conspiracy crime resulted in the death of Jennifer Rodick and that Colon-Sierra was a leader of the drug conspiracy that ultimately caused Rodick’s death.  As a result, Chief Judge Stark granted a motion by the United States to enhance Colon-Sierra’s sentence because Colon-Sierra’s conduct resulted in a death, imposing a sentence of 8 ½ years in federal prison.  

U.S. Attorney Weiss commented, “In the midst of the opioid epidemic, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Drug Enforcement Administration are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who profit off of the addictions of others and put this poison on the streets of Delaware.  Cases like this one are why we have created the First State Overdose Task Force.  We are thankful to our federal and state partners for their hard work in investigating this case.”

“Colon-Sierra was responsible for the distribution and sale of heroin that resulted in the death of Jennifer Rodick,” said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division.  “The criminal penalties for drug-traffickers like Colon-Sierra who sell and distribute dangerous drugs that result in lost lives are very severe.  The DEA remains committed to pursuing the drug-traffickers that pose the greatest danger to our communities.”  DEA wishes to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their outstanding efforts throughout this investigation and trial.” 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in coordination with the New Castle County Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander P. Ibrahim and Ruth E. Mandelbaum.