Brandon Lewis Graham, a 44-year-old resident of Tampa, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for distributing a substance containing cocaine and fentanyl that led to an overdose death. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington after Graham pleaded guilty on March 31, 2025. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
Court records show that on March 30, 2022, Graham sold a substance to a man and woman in Riverview. They later used the substance at the woman’s home, believing it to be cocaine. The following morning, the man found the woman unresponsive in her bed and called emergency services. Deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded and found the woman deceased.
Investigators discovered a clear plastic baggie under the victim’s bra containing a mixture that tested positive for both cocaine and fentanyl. An autopsy conducted by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Department determined that her death resulted from intoxication due to fentanyl, cocaine, and ethanol.
Detectives used witness statements, surveillance footage, and evidence from the victim’s cellphone to identify Graham as the person who sold her the drugs. He was known to her as “Homie Boog.” When arrested on August 3, 2022, Graham had two bags of fentanyl and three bags of methamphetamine in his possession. He admitted selling narcotics to the victim at a gas station in Riverview and said he had more drugs at his apartment. A subsequent search recovered additional bags containing fentanyl and cocaine.
The investigation involved the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Department, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman and Michael Sinacore prosecuted the case.
“This case demonstrates our commitment to holding drug dealers accountable when their actions result in tragic consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
