Rhode Island drug dealer convicted in deadly drug overdose

By: News Staff

Email: news@abc6.com

Twitter: @ABC6

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — For the first time in state history, a man has been convicted of murder for selling drugs that led to a deadly overdose.

Aaron Andrade was just convicted of second degree murder. He admitted to selling almost pure fentanyl to Kristen Coutu who died instantly when she used it.

The incident happened in 2014.

Coutu had just been released from a treatment facility in Texas and she told her mother she was going out to dinner.

Instead, she called Andrade, her long-time drug dealer, to buy heroin.

What she did not know is what she thought was heroin was actually fentanyl, which is 100 times stronger.

Coutu died in her car moments after Andrade sold her the drug.

Coutu’s mother gave an emotional impact statement Wednesday in court that had the entire courtroom including the judge choked up.

Not only is this the first time in Rhode Island that someone has been convicted of murder for this offense, but it is also one of just a few across the nation since the opioid crisis began.

Andrade was sentenced to 40 years with 20 to serve at the ACI.

©WLNE-TV / ABC6 2017