Lorton man sentenced for distributing fentanyl that led to fatal overdose

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - A Lorton man has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a young woman.

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According to court documents, Julian Velasquez, 36, distributed counterfeit Xanax containing fentanyl to E.M., which caused E.M.’s death by accidental fentanyl intoxication in August 2020.

Velasquez found E.M. unresponsive but he did not call 911 or seek medical assistance for E.M. Velasquez instead called his friend and drug customer, Enoel Comsti, 27, of Vienna, to assist in removing evidence of drug use and drug distribution from the crime scene at Velasquez’s residence, according to officials.

Velasquez collected evidence of drug use and distribution from his residence and Comsti drove him to a storage unit so that Velasquez could conceal the evidence from authorities prior to reporting the overdose death of E.M.

Velasquez distributed heroin to Comsti in exchange for Comsti’s assistance in removing and concealing evidence of the drug overdose. After Velasquez returned to his residence, he called 911 to request medical assistance for E.M.

During the 911 call, Velasquez made false statements to emergency medical services regarding E.M.’s current condition, what had transpired, and Velasquez denied the possibility of E.M. suffering from a drug overdose.

Emergency medical services arrived at Velasquez’s residence and found E.M. deceased in Velasquez’s bedroom.

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In addition to admitting to causing E.M.’s death, Velasquez also admitted to distributing narcotics to several other individuals who, after using the drugs distributed by Velasquez, suffered drug overdoses.

Those additional overdoses included several non-fatal overdoses, as well as the fatal overdoses of M.S. in 2017 and K.M. in 2018. All of the other overdoses occurred prior to the distribution of fentanyl to E.M. that caused her fatal overdose.

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Comsti pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting tampering with evidence and was sentenced to 21 months in prison.