D.C. resident Jevaughn Mark was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl disguised as ketamine (“Special K”) to two gay men who died after using the drug.
Mark, 33, also known as “Ledo,” ran what prosecutors described as a “prolific drug delivery service.” He previously pleaded guilty to distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possessing a firearm.
As part of his plea deal, Mark accepted responsibility for the deaths of 38-year-old attorney Brandon Román and 28-year-old Robert Barletta, a historic preservation expert who owned a home renovation business.
Police responding to a 911 call found the men unconscious at Barletta’s home on December 27, 2023. Román was pronounced dead at the scene. Barletta died two days later at Washington Hospital Center.
In addition to the 15-year prison term, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered Mark to serve five years of supervised release after completing his sentence.
“This defendant peddled poisonous drugs, marketed as ketamine but containing fentanyl, to unsuspecting people,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro in a statement. “When challenged by multiple customers, he disregarded the alarms they sounded and continued selling the same product. This blatant disregard for human life — in the name of profit — is unconscionable.”
“Criminals like Jevaughn Mark pose a deadly threat by selling drugs with fentanyl, which users unknowingly consume, often leading to their deaths,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar Mian. “Illegal drug distribution affects the very foundations of our families and communities, so every time we take criminals like Mark off the streets, lives are saved.”
According to court documents, from at least January 2021 until their arrests in March 2024, Mark and his brother, Angelo, sold drugs to multiple people across the D.C. area, often delivering the narcotics in person.
Mark reportedly texted clients a drug “menu” that included “raw pure” and regular cocaine. He added “ketamine” to the list in November 2023, just a month before Román and Barletta’s deaths.
On December 26, 2023, Mark sold 3.5 grams of “raw” cocaine and three grams of “ketamine” to Román. Text messages showed it was the first time Román had purchased “ketamine” from him.
The Drug Enforcement Administration tested the leftover “ketamine” found at Barletta’s home and confirmed it contained fentanyl, the animal tranquilizer xylazine, and caffeine. Investigators at the scene also recovered text messages that led them to Mark.
Between January 10 and March 13, 2024, undercover officers with the Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration made six controlled purchases totaling about 127 grams of fentanyl and 18 grams of cocaine. Each time, the officer asked to buy ketamine, but Mark instead provided fentanyl, sometimes mixed with other drugs.
More than 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, causing respiratory failure and death.
After obtaining an indictment in March 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Mark’s primary residence, recovering one unloaded handgun, one loaded handgun reported stolen from Virginia, cocaine, fentanyl, other drugs, drug trafficking paraphernalia, body armor, and $38,914 in cash.
Law enforcement later executed a second warrant at another residence linked to Mark, where they found his brother, 30-year-old Angelo Mark. From Angelo’s bedroom, officers recovered seven firearms, 900 rounds of ammunition, dozens of pills, cocaine, fentanyl, drug trafficking paraphernalia, and about $5,000 in cash.
On April 9, 2024, both brothers were charged in a superseding 17-count indictment alleging they participated in a broader conspiracy with other, not-yet-named individuals to distribute large amounts of fentanyl and cocaine throughout the D.C. area.
According to court records, Angelo Mark waived his right to a jury trial earlier this month and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. He remains in custody ahead of a sentencing hearing scheduled for October 1.
A New Orleans teenager was assaulted and robbed of his phone and sunglasses by a man who allegedly yelled homophobic slurs during the attack.
DeShan Joseph Jr., 18, was walking home past Louis Armstrong Park in the French Quarter around 6:30 p.m. on June 11 when the attack occurred, according to the New Orleans Police Department.
Joseph, who is gay, believes the man also tried to sexually assault him by attempting to pull down his pants, Kim Joseph, the victim’s mother, told The New Orleans Advocate.
A New York City man will spend the next two decades in prison for selling fentanyl-laced heroin that caused the fatal overdose of prominent transgender activist Cecilia Gentili, found dead in her home on February 6, 2024.
The 52-year-old was killed from a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, xylazine (also known as "tranq," a veterinary sedative that is often mixed with other drugs related to overdoses), and cocaine, according to the New York City Medical Examiner's Office.
Police used text messages, along with cell site data, to link two men to Gentili's death, with 53-year-old Antonio Venti of Babylon, N.Y., selling the fentanyl-laced mixture to the veteran LGBTQ activist and 44-year-old Michael Kuilan supplying the drugs to Venti.
Koby Falks, a gay Australian adult film actor and OnlyFans creator whose Facebook and Instagram Reels earned him a devoted LGBTQ following, died on May 28 at the age of 42.
A representative for Falks -- known to family and friends as Anthony Cox -- announced his death in a June 1 Instagram post. The tribute included a photo of Falks standing outdoors with his arms crossed, an image of him sharing a kiss with his partner, Sam Brownell, and another of him posing alongside a friend.
"Koby Falks passed away earlier this week. He was loved by many and will be missed," the post reads.
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