Hollywood Man Accused of Selling Fentanyl Via Craigslist Indicted After Customer Overdoses, Dies

A federal grand jury indicted an alleged drug dealer from Hollywood Friday who they say sold the powerful opioid fentanyl though online classified adds, resulting in the death of a man who overdosed on it in July, authorities said.

Andrew Madi, 25, faces a federal charge of distributing a controlled substance resulting in death, U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman Ciaran McEvoy said in a written statement.  The indictment was filed Friday following Madi’s arrest Monday.

“Madi is an opioid dealer who used the Craigslist website to sell fentanyl to the victim on July 3, 2018,” according to McEvoy. He added that the substance is “50 times more powerful than heroin.”

After reviewing the victims cell phone text messages, investigators learned he initially approached Madi about buying black-tar heroin, prosecutors said. Madi replied that he was out of heroin, but had “China white” instead.

Madi and the customer met at a West Hollywood shopping center, where Madi sold the man just over half a gram of the drug.

The customer was found dead from an overdose in his apartment on July 6, McEvoy said. A baggie found near the body contained .32 grams of fentanyl.

An investigation found that Madi had advertised online to sell fentanyl, heroin and Xanax dating back to at least March, officials said.

Madi is scheduled to return to federal court in Los Angeles to answer to the charge on Dec. 21, McEvoy said. Until then, he’s bing held without bond.

If convicted as charged, Madi faces a minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life behind bars.

34.092809
-118.328661