NEW YORK— The government says that a couple from Palm Beach County has pleaded guilty to felonies possessing guns illegally and selling fentanyl, which led to the death of a 10-month-old girl.
Sam Yi, who is 32 years old, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two counts of fentanyl distribution plot and distribution of fentanyl that causes death. The same charges were brought against her 31-year-old boyfriend Darnell Mendez on July 25.
The Department of Justice says that the Boynton Beach Police Department, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration worked together for a long time to look into the death of a 10-month-old baby in Boynton Beach who took fentanyl.
Cause of death
The plea deals were the end result of this study. On March 31, 2022, a baby in trouble called 911, and the PBSO came to help. The baby and her mother were taken to Bethesda Hospital East in Boynton Beach, according to the police.
An exam by the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner showed that the baby had been killed and died from fentanyl poisoning, according to the authorities.
Boynton Beach cops found fentanyl at the baby’s house while they were investigating a murder. In the end, the baby’s mother, Kelly Kirwan, 32, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder of a child by culpable neglect. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) got involved in the case to find the drug dealers who sold the fentanyl that killed the baby.
Possession of firearms
They did some digging and found that Yi’s boyfriend, Mendez, was also in the business of delivering fentanyl. Authorities found out that on March 30, 2022, the woman went to Boynton Beach to buy fentanyl. The baby died after taking fentanyl.
As part of a plan by the DEA, ATF, Boynton Beach police, and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, two undercover agents bought fentanyl from Yi and Mendez. Yi and Mendez were caught on March 6 at their home in Lake Worth after an undercover probe. Fourteen weapons were found there.
The Department of Justice says that Yi and Mendez admitted in their plea deals that they were thieves with guns by law. Both suspects must serve at least 20 years in prison, and they could get life in prison. The meeting to decide Mendez’s sentence is set for October 29. The meeting for Yi’s sentence is not yet set in stone.