Florida Man Gets 24 Years For Selling Fentanyl Linked To Fatal Overdose

FORT MYERS (CBSMiami/AP) - A man who sold fentanyl which caused fatal overdose has been sentenced to 24 years and four months in prison.

Gregory Apicella, 54, was sentenced this week in Fort Myers federal court. He pleaded guilty in February to distributing fentanyl and causing an overdose death. He had faced a possible life sentence.

Prosecutors say Apicella sold fentanyl, an opioid pain medication, in January 2018 to a 21-year-old man who later died from an overdose.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Apicella the next day. Detectives say they recovered about nine grams of fentanyl from the home while executing a search warrant.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)