South Florida Couple Plead Guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death of Baby and To Being Felons in Possession of Firearms

MIAMI – A couple from Lake Worth, Fla., pled guilty to distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a baby and for being felons in unlawful possession of firearms.

Today, Samantha Yi, 32, pled guilty to a superseding indictment charging Yi and her boyfriend Darnell Mendez with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Mendez, 31, pled guilty to the same offenses on July 25. Their guilty pleas follow a long-term joint investigation by the Boynton Beach Police Department (BBPD), the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) after the death of a 10-month-old infant in Boynton Beach who ingested fentanyl.

On March 31, 2022, PBSO responded to a 911 call of an infant in distress. The infant was transported to Bethesda Hospital East in Boynton Beach, Fla., with her mother. On April 1, 2022, the baby was transferred to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. On April 5, 2022, the baby died. An autopsy conducted by the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner determined that the baby’s death was caused by fentanyl intoxication and that her manner of death was homicide. 

The BBPD conducted a homicide investigation during which law enforcement recovered fentanyl at the baby’s home. The investigation determined that the baby’s mother and father were addicts and had been abusing fentanyl regularly in the kitchen of their apartment. The investigation also determined that the baby was teething and ingested fentanyl on March 31, 2022, while in the care of her mother, and while her father was at work. The mother was arrested by the BBPD and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child by culpable negligence.

DEA joined the investigation to identify the drug dealers that were responsible for the distribution of the fentanyl that killed the baby. Through data and information retrieved from the mother’s cellphone, law enforcement was able to identify Yi as the drug dealer. The investigation uncovered months of electronic communications exchanged between Yi and the mother involving drug transactions in which the mother was the customer. The investigation further determined that Yi’s boyfriend, Mendez was also involved in the distribution of fentanyl. Investigators were able to determine that on March 30, 2022, the mother met with Yi in Boynton Beach to purchase fentanyl, and that fentanyl was ingested by the baby resulting in her death.

As part of the joint investigation, DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), BBPD, and PBSO conducted an operation involving two undercover officers who purchased fentanyl from Yi and Mendez. The undercover operation culminated in the arrests of Yi and Mendez on March 6, at their residence in Lake Worth, where law enforcement discovered 14 firearms. As part of their pleas, Yi and Mendez admitted being felons unlawfully in possession of firearms.

Both defendants face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 years to a maximum sentence of life. A sentencing hearing for Mendez is set for Oct. 29. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled for Yi.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of DEA, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of ATF, Miami Field Division, Chief Joe DeGiulio of BBPD, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of PBSO announced the guilty pleas.

The Office of State Attorney Dave Aronberg for the 15^th Judicial Circuit – Palm Beach County provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam McMichael and Shannon O’Shea Darsch are prosecuting the case.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-80041. 

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