Evans man sentenced to prison in Larimer County woman's overdose death
An Evans man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty in a Larimer County woman's overdose death earlier this year.
Rodolfo Dominguez, 56, was sentenced to four years in the Colorado Department of Corrections on Friday after previously pleading guilty to manslaughter, a Class 4 felony, and drug distribution, a Class 3 drug felony.
Dominguez was arrested in May after investigators accused him of supplying a Larimer County woman the fentanyl that led to her overdose death, making him the third person in Larimer County to be charged with the new felony created by the state legislature to help curb fentanyl distribution and overdoses: fentanyl distribution resulting in death.
However, that charge was dismissed as part of a plea agreement Friday.
Dominguez admitted to providing the woman — who was a friend of his — oxycodone but has maintained since his arrest "that he is not the person who gave her the fentanyl," defense attorney Katherine Rahme said during Friday's sentencing.
The woman's cause of death was determined to be an accidental overdose from multiple drugs, according to the coroner's office, and she had three times the lethal amount of fentanyl in her system at the time of her death.
Rahme said the evidence shows that Dominguez did not provide the woman fentanyl. The oxycodone he admitted to supplying the woman did not test positive for fentanyl, investigators found texts between the two about oxycodone but not fentanyl, and no fentanyl was found in Dominguez' home, Rahme said.
Investigators believed Dominguez also supplied the woman with fentanyl because fentanyl pills were found in the woman's kitchen next to the oxycodone Dominguez admitted to supplying her, but investigators also found drugs that were legally prescribed to the woman in the same area that Dominguez clearly didn't provide her, Rahme said.
Deputy District Attorney Lynzi Maas agreed that the evidence in the case supported this plea agreement. The woman's family approved of the plea agreement because they feared that taking this case to trial would publicize more information about the woman and her substance abuse issues, and her family wanted to protect her memory and reputation.
"It does obtain justice for (the woman) and her family, even if that justice is not what is ideal or perfect," Maas said.
Dominguez apologized to the woman's family, his own family and the community in a statement to the court. Rahme said this case has been difficult for him as well, as he hasn't had time to grieve the loss of his friend.
"He lost a dear friend and was immediately the one blamed for her death," Rahme said.
Judge Stephen Jouard previously rejected this exact plea deal, but during a September evidence hearing in the case said he was made aware of "the difficulty with proof ... particularly with the distribution of fentanyl" allegation.
"I've really struggled with whether or not this agreement is appropriate," Jouard said, particularly because Dominguez has two prior convictions for drug distribution.
"There is a significant difference between someone who is mired in addiction and someone who is selling substances," Jouard said.
Jouard ultimately accepted the agreement, sentencing Dominguez to four years in prison.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Evans man sentenced to prison in Larimer County woman's overdose death
