Akron man likely to be sentenced to 20 years in prison after admitting selling fentanyl obtained from China that resulted in fatal overdose

An Akron man will likely be sentenced to 20 years in prison after he admitted selling fentanyl obtained from China that resulted in a fatal overdose, law enforcement officials said.

Leroy Shuarod Steele, 36, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.

The fentanyl Steele distributed resulted in the fatal overdose of a person identified only as T.R. on March 21, 2015 in Akron, according to court documents.

Steele, Sabrina M. Robinson and Ryan Sumlin conspired together between March and April of this year to possess and distribute fentanyl. They obtained fentanyl from suppliers in China and then distributed the drug to people in Akron, Fairlawn and elsewhere, according to court documents.

Sumlin faces an additional charge of distribution of fentanyl that caused the overdose death of someone in Akron on March 28, 2015, according to court documents.

Robinson has pled guilty in the case. Sumlin’s case is pending.

Steele and Robinson are scheduled to be sentenced on April 19.

“This is another human life lost to opioids brought to Ohio from China,” U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon said. “We will continue to push for long prison sentences for drug dealers who kill our neighbors and relatives, while also working to reduce the number of opioids on the street, making treatment more readily available and educating our community about the dangers posed by these drugs.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda H. Barr following an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Akron Police Department and the Fairlawn Police Department.