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Ronald Sullivan, 49, of Edgewood, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute narcotics and has been sentenced to 20 years in prison with all but 15 years to serve.
The case also trigged a probation violation for a 2011 possession with intent to distribute case that added another five years to serve, marking a total of 20 years in prison for Sullivan, according to prosecutors.
In August 2023, investigators determined that the OD victim was in contact with Sullivan the night before the fatal overdose, exchanging messages that "clearly pertained to a drug purchase."
When he was arrested, Sullivan was busted in possession of cocaine on his person, and further investigation linked another dead victim to him, indicating that they had also purchased illegal substances from him in July 2023, leading to their death.
According to Assistant State's Attorney Stuart Welch, "the facts and circumstances surrounding the case and considering that (it) involved the death of two people, (deserved) an upward deviation from the Maryland Sentencing Guidelines, which were calculated at four to 12 years, was warranted."
"Drug distribution is not a victimless crime," State's Attorney Alison Healey stated. "Too often, our community members lose loved ones to the poison that is being peddled on our streets by individuals with no regard for human life or the laws by which we are required to live."
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