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LIMA – A woman from Lima who agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in their case against a known drug dealer who supplied drugs containing fentanyl that allegedly caused the death of Dino Gerdeman was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Thursday.
Keo’Landa Peoples-Fuqua, 20, wiped tears from his eyes as he apologized to Gerdeman’s family for his role in his death.
The man from Lima, 59, was found dead by police in a room at the Travelodge Motel in Lima in the wee hours of May 27, 2020. Medical experts said his death was due to the ingestion of a lethal amount of fentanyl. Peoples-Fuqua and DeJuan Lucas were initially charged with manslaughter for supplying the drugs that killed Gerdeman.
In return for his cooperation, the charges against Peoples-Fuqua were reduced to a third degree felony of attempting to bribe others with drugs. Lucas was convicted by an Allen County jury last week of manslaughter, a first degree felony, and bribing another with drugs, a second degree felony, each linked to death by Gerdeman. He has not yet been convicted. The conviction for Peoples-Fuqua was deliberately postponed after Lucas’ trial.
The woman was 19 when she obtained drugs at Gerdeman’s request and attended a birthday party for the Lima man with two other young women at the local motel. On Thursday, she apologized for her actions that night.
Parts of a letter from Gerdeman’s 89-year-old mother were read aloud in court by a representative for Crime Victim Services. In it, the woman said her youngest son “doesn’t deserve to die this way.” She described Gerdeman as her only guardian and said she didn’t know how she would survive without him.
A woman who described herself as Gerdeman’s cousin told Peoples-Fuqua that forgiveness was not easy to grant.
“I thought you were his friend, but friends don’t do that to each other,” the woman said. “I hope to find forgiveness for you, but on this day I do not have it.”
Defense attorney Kenneth Rexford reminded the court that Gerdeman was responsible for his own actions.
“It was a grown man, three times the age of my client, who sent her to get alcohol and drugs and hire girls to dance for him. He made choices, the dealer made choices and Keo’Landa made choices. She recognized what she did and helped the state with her case, ”Rexford said. “In return, the state treated her with dignity and compassion. “
Peoples-Fuqua told Judge Terri Kohlrieser that the events of May 27, 2019 “have radically changed me… for the good. I am a totally different person today than I was then.
The woman, who is pregnant and due to give birth to a baby boy in January, said Gerdeman was more than a mentor to her, as evidenced during Lucas’ trial.
“I really cared about him. He cared about my career and he listened to me, ”she said, fighting back tears. “I’m so sad. I just put everything in the hands of God. I’m sorry.”
In passing a prison sentence, Kohlrieser admitted that Gerdeman “provoked” the offense for which Peoples-Fuqua was charged.
“Dino Gerdeman was an imperfect but decent human being. He did not deserve death, ”said the judge.
Keo’Landa Peoples-Fuqua choked back tears as he apologized Thursday for his role in Dino Gerdeman’s overdose death in 2019. The woman from Lima was sentenced to 18 months in prison for providing the drugs that led to Gerdeman’s death.
Keo’Landa Peoples-Fuqua, 20, of Lima, was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in prison for supplying the drugs that led to Dino Gerdeman’s death in 2019.
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