Bronx Man Pleads Guilty To Distribution Of Fentanyl In Connection With Death Of 19-Year-Old Victim And Sex Trafficking Of A Minor

 

Virgil Wardlow Exchanged Black Market Fentanyl Pills for Sex with a Minor Victim and Caused the Death of a 19-Year-Old

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that VIRGIL WARDLOW pled guilty today to one count of distributing fentanyl.  In connection with his guilty plea, WARDLOW stipulated that he paid for commercial sex with a minor using fentanyl-laced pills that caused the death of a 19-year-old victim.  WARDLOW pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13, 2024. 

 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The consequences of the defendant’s conduct are heart-wrenching:  The defendant paid for sex with a 16-year-old victim using fentanyl-laced pills, which the victim’s 19-year-old friend then ingested, poisoning her and causing her death.  Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that this Office will seek justice for families facing the horrific tragedy of losing a loved one to fentanyl poisoning and for victims of child sexual exploitation.” 

According to court filings and statements made in court proceedings:

WARDLOW engaged in a pattern of paying for commercial sex with black market pills that contained fentanyl.  On or about March 25, 2023, at a hotel room in the Bronx, New York, WARDLOW provided two of those pills to a 16-year-old female (“Victim-1”) in exchange for sex with Victim-1.  After Victim-1 had sex with WARDLOW and WARDLOW left the hotel room, Victim-1 and her 19-year-old female friend (“Victim-2”) ingested the pills provided by WARDLOW.  Thereafter, Victim-1 became ill, and Victim-2 became unconscious and died of a drug poisoning.

Between at least on or about February 8, 2023, and on or about April 7, 2023, WARDLOW exchanged several messages with other individuals in which WARDLOW offered to provide pills in exchange for sex or money.  WARDLOW sent these messages using an anonymized cellphone number that masked his identity from his intended victims.

WARDLOW, 31, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and oxycodone, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York State Police, the New York City Police Department, and Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.