A Galeton man is serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison for delivering fentanyl that caused serious injury, along with delivering other controlled substances.
David Piaquadio, 63, was sentenced Aug. 27 before U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Conner, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Piaquadio was convicted of the following charges: conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, fentanyl and heroin; distribution of oxycodone and fentanyl; and attempted distribution of oxycodone.
In a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, outlined Piaquadio’s actions: “On March 12, 2015, Piaquadio delivered fentanyl to an individual who overdosed after using the drug. The overdose victim was found by his mother unconscious with a syringe stuck in his right arm in close proximity to a metal spoon containing fentanyl residue that was distributed by Piaquadio.”
The press release indicated that the delivery to the above victim was one of many drug deliveries that Piaquadio and his now-deceased girlfriend had made. The pair was selling between 100 to 120 oxycodone tablets and one or two fentanyl patches each month.
In fact, “On the morning of March 12, 2015, the day he delivered fentanyl to the overdose victim, Piaquadio filled a prescription for 150 Oxycodone tablets and 10 fentanyl patches,” the release stated.
A 20-year sentence was the mandatory minimum sentence Piaquadio could have received due to the fact that the drug delivery resulted in serious bodily injury.
Several agencies worked together in the investigation, including the Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Pennsylvania State Police, with the assistance of the Galeton Borough Police Department and the Potter County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey MacArthur and George Rocktashel prosecuted the case.
“This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and opioids like fentanyl and oxycodone,” the release stated. “Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets opioid traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.”
