An Akron man pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday in Cleveland to selling fentanyl that resulted in the fatal overdose of an Akron man in March 2015.
Under an agreement with U.S. attorneys, Leroy Shuarod Steele is expected to be sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Steele, 36, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. He will be sentenced at 10 a.m. April 19 by Judge Donald Nugent.
Steele, Sabrina M. Robinson and Ryan Sumlin worked together to distribute fentanyl between March and April 2015. They got the fentanyl from China and sold it to people in Akron, Fairlawn and elsewhere, according to court documents.
The fentanyl Steele distributed resulted in the fatal overdose of Thomas Rauh, 37, of Akron, on March 21, 2015, according to court documents.
“This is another human life lost to opioids brought to Ohio from China,” U.S. Attorney Carole Rendon said in a news release. “We will continue to push for long prison sentences for drug dealers who kill our neighbors and relatives.”
Steele has lengthy criminal records in Akron and other Summit County cities.
Valorie Rauh, Thomas’ mother, was pleased to see Steele plead guilty and to know that he will spend time in prison.
“We are satisfied that this man is not going to do this again to anyone in the next 20 years,” said Rauh, who lives in Akron.
Sumlin is charged with distribution of fentanyl tied to the overdose death of Carrie Lynn Dobbins, 23, of Akron, on March 28, 2015.
Robinson pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. She also will be sentenced April 19. Sumlin’s case is still pending.
Officers from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, along with the Akron and Fairlawn police departments, conducted the investigation.
Rauh said her son’s addiction lasted for 10 years and began with pain killers he received after a rollerblading accident. She said he then switched to heroin and went in and out of rehab, successfully getting off drugs for short periods but then returning to them.
Rauh said the family never turned its back on him.
“We were always there for him,” she said. “You never know what to do and what’s going to work. He always had another chance. This criminal took away his last chance.”
Rauh hopes Steele’s expected prison sentence will send a message to other dealers that “it’s a riskier business than they thought.”
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705, swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj .