Sarasota man facing charges of manslaughter in connection to overdose death
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
Ricky Turner, Jr., 36, of Sarasota, has been arrested and is facing charges of Manslaughter (1 count), Sale of Fentanyl (3 counts), Use of Two-Way Communication (3 counts), and Driving with a Suspended License (3 counts) in connection to an overdose death that happened in March 2021.
On March 8, 2021, Sarasota Police detectives began investigating an overdose death that happened on March 7, 2021. The victim was found deceased in an apartment. Detectives learned that Turner had been speaking with the victim since January 2021. Turner and the victim messaged each other and the victim purchased narcotics from Turner.
Detectives received a toxicology report for the victim on July 1, 2021, which showed there was fentanyl in the victim’s system. On July 2, 2021, a doctor who analyzed the victim’s blood, reported to Sarasota Police detectives the victim died of a fentanyl overdose.
In March and April 2021, Sarasota Police undercover detectives purchased fentanyl three times from Turner in exchange for cash. Undercover detectives purchased a total of 2.3 grams of fentanyl between March 16, 2021, and April 17, 2021.
Yesterday, Thursday, July 14, 2021, Turner was arrested by Sarasota Police detectives in the 1800 block of North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, in a hotel parking lot without incident. The victim’s family was notified of the arrest. Turner was taken to the Sarasota County Jail where he’s currently being held on bond. Booking photos can be found on the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office website at https://www.sarasotasheriff.org/arrest-reports/index.php
“People may think that drug crimes are a victimless crime but that isn’t the case,” said Lieutenant Jeff Steiner, Sarasota Police Criminal Investigations Division. “Families are affected. Our community is affected. We take each overdose case we investigate seriously. Detectives and officers with the Sarasota Police Department work diligently every day to prevent these types of crimes from happening in the future,” said Lieutenant Steiner.