A 27-year-old Lynn man pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges that he trafficked heroin and fentanyl in a criminal operation that resulted in the fatal overdose of a 34-year-old Melrose mother, the day after she got out of a drug rehab program, authorities said.
The defendant, Yeffry Reynoso, who also goes by Chris, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to one count of conspiring to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin and at least 40 grams of fentanyl in 2016 and 2017, and six counts of distributing heroin or fentanyl on various dates in 2017, according to US Attorney Andrew E. Lelling’s office.
Reynoso’s lawyer declined to comment.
Lelling’s office said court documents show Reynoso “admitted that he sold and directed others to sell on his behalf small, retail quantities . . . of heroin, heroin mixed with fentanyl, and/or fentanyl to numerous individuals in Lynn, Melrose, Saugus, Peabody, Malden, and the surrounding areas.’’
Reynoso faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison but could get up to 40 years at his sentencing May 9.
An affidavit filed in the case identified the overdose victim as K.H., a mother who died in January 2017 from “heroin/fentanyl supplied to her by Reynoso. . . . Despite the fact that Reynoso learned that K.H. had overdosed, he continued his drug activity.’’
On the morning of Jan. 12, 2017, K.H. texted Reynoso, asking him to “please hit me up cuz I missed my dose,’’ the filing said. Reynoso responded, “Yea my bad hun had to take care of a few things I’ll hit u up in 20.’’
Reynoso supplied the drugs, and K.H. texted him again at 10:59 a.m., this time asking if she could “do more than I think I should it looks a lol diff?’’ Reynoso advised her to “try lil by lil,’’ which authorities interpreted as instructions to “try a little at a time to get high,’’ the document said.
Melrose police responded to her residence at 12:49 p.m. for an overdose. K.H. was pronounced dead in the early morning hours of Jan. 13.
A cooperating witness who began dating her in 2012 told investigators he had picked up K.H. on Jan. 11, one day before she got the drugs from Reynoso, after her release from a 30-day rehabilitation program at Taunton State Hospital.
The witness agreed to pick her up the next morning to take her to an appointment at a methadone clinic in Cambridge, the filing said. But they arrived late because of weather, and the door was locked at the clinic, according to the affidavit. Staff refused to provide treatment because of K.H.’s tardiness and told her to return for an afternoon dose, records show.
The witness told investigators that during the ride back, K.H. “was anxious, because she missed her dose of methadone and expressed concern that she could not wait until later that day to get treatment.’’
Later that morning K.H. texted Reynoso informing him that she “missed my dose.’’
While doctors attended to her at MelroseWakefield Hospital, the witness texted Reynoso from K.H.’s phone, writing that she “might have od if she died we are coming after you,’’ the filing said.
A second witness, identified as a friend and former roommate of K.H., told investigators that K.H. came to live with her in Malden in October 2016 after an earlier rehab program in Danvers.
The woman, who also purchased heroin from Reynoso, said K.H. began using heroin again and started advertising herself on the Backpage website as an escort, where she met Reynoso, who went by Chris online, records show. The woman said K.H. told her “Chris’’ asked if she would trade sex for drugs.
Lelling’s office said Reynoso also admitted “that he sold the drugs to his customers on an almost daily basis and that he directed others who worked for him to deliver the drugs.’’
Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com.
