SNOW HILL — A West Ocean City woman, convicted in October for distributing the fentanyl to a male victim of a fatal overdose was sentenced last week to 20 years in prison, all but 10 years of which was suspended.
In October, Elizabeth Blair Redding, 28, of West Ocean City, was found guilty of distribution of fentanyl after supplying the drug to her boyfriend, who fatally overdosed after ingesting it. Redding was back in court last Thursday for sentencing. The conviction also triggered a violation of probation in a separate case, and Redding was sentenced to an additional three years, which she will serve consecutively. Redding will also be on supervised probation for five years upon her release.
Elizabeth B. Redding
The fentanyl distribution charges stem from an investigation into a fatal overdose in March. On March 21, members of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Enforcement Team responded to Redding’s West Ocean City home for a reported overdose. Officers found the male victim unresponsive and he was immediately transported to Atlantic General Hospital.
According to police reports, the victim was pronounced deceased on March 23. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be fentanyl intoxication. While on the scene, officers spoke to Redding, who reportedly told police the victim was her boyfriend and that they had laid down to take a nap. When she awoke, Redding found the victim to be unresponsive.
In May, detectives discovered a phone call Redding had made while she was incarcerated at the Worcester County Detention Center on a separate matter. According to police reports, Redding in that phone call told a friend that on the date of the fatal overdose, she had gone looking for drugs in the house and that she had found three “caps.”
During the phone call, Redding reportedly said she split a cap with her boyfriend, which had caused him to overdose. In the same phone call, Redding told her friend she didn’t tell the truth at the time because police were present and she did not want to be charged.
Following sentencing last week, Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser commended the Criminal Enforcement Team and Detective Lewis for their commitment to holding drug dealers accountable and thanked Assistant State’s Attorney Joaquin Cabrera for ensuring justice was served.
