Ellicott City Man Admits to Distributing Heroin Leading to Overdose Death

Baltimore, Maryland – Ian Daniel Ugol, age 24, of Ellicott City, Maryland pleaded guilty today to distribution of heroin.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Baltimore District Office; Special Agent in Charge Kevin Perkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Chief Gary Gardner of the Howard County Police Department.

DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don Hibbert stated, “The Drug Enforcement Administration is focused not only on large scale drug traffickers, but also on cases where the distribution of an illegal drug has a direct causal link to the death of an individual. The arrest and guilty plea in this case illustrates that the results of the illegal distribution of narcotics to users are not only tragic, but are often deadly.”

According to his plea agreement, on November 13, 2013, Ugol communicated with the victim through social media, text messaging and telephone conversations to arrange for Ugol to obtain heroin for the victim’s use.  During that time, Ugol was also in contact with another individual known as a source for heroin. Between 10:58 pm on November 13, 2013, and four minutes after midnight on November 14, 2013, there were five short telephone conversations and one text between Ugol and the source of supply arranging for Ugol to obtain heroin for the victim. According to text messages, Ugol and the victim met at or near a bowling alley in Ellicott City to arrange for the victim and Ugol to get the heroin. Before 7:00 a.m. on November 14, 2013, the victim was discovered by his parents at their home, unconscious and was not breathing.  He was pronounced dead at 7:13 a.m. and the medical examiner determined that the cause of death was heroin and oxycodone intoxication.

Ugol faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for distribution of heroin.   U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis has scheduled sentencing for August 17, 2016, 2016 at 2:15 p.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the DEA, FBI, and Howard County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea L. Smith, who is prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.