Tampa Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in an Overdose Death

Tampa, Florida - Brandon Lewis Graham (44, Tampa) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington to 20 years in federal prison for distribution of a substance that contained cocaine and fentanyl that was used and resulted in death. Graham pleaded guilty on March 31, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to court documents, on March 30, 2022, a man and a woman bought a substance from Graham at a location in Riverview. They went to the woman's home and used the substance, which they believed to be cocaine. The next morning, the man found the woman in her bed. She was unresponsive and appeared to be deceased. Deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) responded to a 911 call and found the deceased victim. Investigators also found a clear plastic baggie under the victim's bra. The baggie contained a substance that tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl. The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Department conducted an autopsy and determined that the cause of the victim's death was intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, cocaine, and ethanol.

Based on witness interviews, surveillance videos, and evidence from the victim's cellphone, HCSO detectives determined that Graham, known to the victim as "Homie Boog," sold the cocaine and fentanyl mixture to the victim. When Graham was arrested on August 3, 2022, he was found in possession of two plastic bags that contained fentanyl and three bags that contained methamphetamine. Graham admitted to selling narcotics to the victim at a gas station in Riverview and told detectives that he had narcotics in his apartment. A search of Graham's apartment resulted in the recovery of two plastic bags containing fentanyl and cocaine.

This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman and Michael Sinacore.