Buffalo man charged with selling fentanyl resulting in 2 deaths

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- A Buffalo man was indicted on charges after allegedly selling fentanyl that resulted in two deaths in February 2023, the United States Attorney's Office announced Tuesday.

Rashaun Crule, 30, was charged with narcotics conspiracy and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison to a maximum of life.

Officials said Crule gave fentanyl to two people in Amherst. The victims thought they were buying cocaine, but authorities said Crule delivered them a bag of pure fentanyl.

The victims ingested the fentanyl, immediately overdosed and then died as a result, the attorney's office said. Their bodies were not found for several days.

Authorities searched Crule's phone and found that he deleted all of the messages between himself and one of the victims. About five months after their deaths, officials said Crule "joked" in a text message with another person about the strength of the fentanyl he was selling. He allegedly responded with laughing emojis to a message that suggested his fentanyl was strong enough to cause overdoses.

Crule was on probation at the time for a 2022 felony drug conviction in Erie County.