Pair sentenced to federal prison for selling fentanyl
Illegal chemical killed Santa Rosa man and his 13-month-old son
SAN FRANCISCO >> Two Santa Rosa residents have been sentenced to federal prison terms for selling fentanyl to a man who overdosed and died, along with with his 13-month old son, court records show.
Shane Cratty, 28, and Lindsay Williams, 34, were sentenced last week to eight years and 71/2 years, respectively, by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer. They pleaded guilty to a fentanyl sales charge earlier this year.
Cratty and Williams, who is also referred to as Lindsay Muñiz in court records, were linked to a fentanyl sale that resulted in Patrick O’Neill, 29, and his son, Liam, dying from an overdose. The father and son were discovered unconscious by the baby’s mother and hospitalized. O’Neill died of cardiac arrest two days after his son perished.
In court records, federal prosecutors provided a heart-wrenching blow-byblow of the day of the tragedy, wrote both defendants “must find ways to live with themselves knowing that they contributed to such misery,” and admitted that Liam’s grandparents were angry that the two were offered plea deals rather than being taken to trial.
“There are no words to describe the heartbreak and tragedy that flowed from this simple transaction,” two U.S. attorneys wrote in a joint sentencing memo. “A wonderful, happy, healthy boy had his future stolen from him. His father died. His mother was crushed and now manages unbearable grief.”
The federal investigation found that Williams set up the deal after she and O’Neill agreed upon a 1-gram price of $125, that Cratty drove them to get the drug from their co-defendant, Leanna Zamora, and that Williams then gave the gram to Cratty, who made the exchange with O’Neill. Loved ones of O’Neill told authorities that he was a recovering drug addict but appeared to be doing well.
Charges against Zamora still are pending.
Cratty’s attorney, Gregor Guy-Smith, wrote in court records that Cratty also struggled with drug use and that his role in the crime basically amounted to giving a “close friend” a ride. He argued for a seven-year prison term.
“Shane’s involvement in this offense evolved from a struggle with addiction since his adolescence and his continued lifestyle surrounding drugs. Understanding Shane’s involvement in this tragedy is dependent on understanding his background, his relationships and his addiction,” Guy-Smith wrote, later adding, “Seven years is a long sentence, particularly for someone young, without any prison experience. Such a sentence will hold Shane accountable, will serve as a deterrent for both him and society in general and will promote respect for the law.”
Williams’ attorney, Shaffy Moeel, wrote in a heavily redacted sentencing memorandum that Williams was “tremendously remorseful” for what happened.
“Her chaotic and traumatic upbringing predictably steered her to where she is today, awaiting sentencing in a federal criminal case after her drug addiction got the better of her own life and two others in the most devastating way possible,” Moeel wrote.