PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Prosecutors said a Palm Beach County couple have pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a 10-month-old girl and for being felons in unlawful possession of firearms.
Samantha Yi, 32, pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Her boyfriend Darnell Mendez, 31, pleaded guilty to the same offenses on July 25.
The Department of Justice said their guilty pleas follow a long-term joint investigation by the Boynton Beach Police Department, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration after the death of a 10-month-old infant in Boynton Beach who ingested fentanyl.
On March 31, 2022, PBSO responded to a 911 call of an infant in distress. Investigators said the infant was taken to Bethesda Hospital East in Boynton Beach with her mother.
Crime
Woman linked to baby's 2022 fentanyl death arrested; boyfriend also charged
On April 1, the baby was transferred to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood but the child died on April 5.
Officials said an autopsy conducted by the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner determined that the baby's death was caused by fentanyl intoxication and that her manner of death was homicide.
Boynton Beach police conducted a homicide investigation where law enforcement recovered fentanyl at the baby's home.
"The investigation determined that the baby's mother and father were addicts and had been abusing fentanyl regularly in the kitchen of their apartment," a statement from the DOJ said. "The investigation also determined that the baby was teething and ingested fentanyl on March 31, 2022, while in the care of her mother, and while her father was at work."
The baby's mother, Kelly Kirwan, who was 32 at the time, was later arrested on a charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child by culpable negligence.
The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) joined the investigation to identify the drug dealers that were responsible for the distribution of the fentanyl that killed the baby.
Through data and information retrieved from the mother's cellphone, law enforcement was able to identify Yi as the drug dealer. Prosecutors said the investigation uncovered months of electronic communications exchanged between Yi and the mother involving drug transactions in which the mother was the customer.
Their investigation further determined that Yi's boyfriend, Mendez was also involved in the distribution of fentanyl. Investigators determined that on March 30, 2022, the mother met with Yi in Boynton Beach to purchase fentanyl and that fentanyl was ingested by the baby resulting in her death.
The DEA, ATF, Boynton Beach police and Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office conducted an operation involving two undercover officers who purchased fentanyl from Yi and Mendez. The undercover operation culminated in the arrests of Yi and Mendez on March 6, at their residence in Lake Worth, where law enforcement discovered 14 firearms.
The DOJ said as part of their pleas, Yi and Mendez admitted being felons unlawfully in possession of firearms.
Both defendants face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 years to a maximum sentence of life.
A sentencing hearing for Mendez is set for Oct. 29. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled for Yi.
