On Aug. 26, jurors deadlocked in the trial of Eligio Cintron Perez, who was charged with death caused by the unlawful distribution of fentanyl. A mistrial was declared and another trial contemplated for later this year.
But on Aug. 28, Perez returned to the same Ocala courtroom. There would be no second trial. He accepted a plea deal, instead.
Here's what we know:
Who are the judges and lawyers on the case? Circuit Judge Steve Rogers presided. Defending Cintron Perez were John Klein and paralegal Melody Hoover. Prosecuting the case was Assistant State Attorney Amy Berndt.
About the case: Cintron Perez was accused of providing fentanyl to Simon Finley Dotson, 22, of Ocklawaha. Dotson died of an overdose in April 2023.
What happened at trial? Jury
selection was Aug. 24. Testimony and evidence were presented Aug. 25 and 26.
The prosecution said Dotson called Cintron Perez seeking Oxycodone. The men met, and the victim received seven pills. He gave one to Cintron Perez and went home and took one pill himself.
Dotson was found deceased in his room by his grandfather the next day.
Authorities recovered the five remaining pills from the original seven. According to the state, those pills later tested positive for fentanyl.
The defense contended that Cintron Perez was a middleman in the pill transaction, not a supplier, and one pill didn't kill the victim.
If convicted as charged, how much time would the defendant spend in prison? Life. A lesser charge of manslaughter was offered to the jury. If found guilty of that charge, the maximum sentence was 15 years behind bars.
Was Cintron Perez in or out of jail at the time of his trial? In jail.
How long did the jury deliberate? The 12-member jury, made up of 10 women and two men, discussed the case for four hours and were unable to reach a decision. With the hung jury, a mistrial was declared and the case had to be retried within 90 days.
What happened in court on Aug. 28? Cintron Perez's lawyer announced his client would enter a no contest plea to a charge of manslaughter and agree to a prison sentence of 10.36 years, which is the lowest allowed by state sentencing guidelines.
The defendant already has 616 days of credit for time served at the jail awaiting resolution of this case.
In addition to the prison time, Cintron Perez must pay fines and court costs.
Prosecutor Berndt read aloud prepared statements from the victim's family and friends. Two women, including Dotson's mother, spoke at the podium.
The prepared statements describe Dotson as a kind, loveable, loyal, funny, easygoing man who played the guitar.
One letter from a woman states Dotson grew up with her and she knew he was ambitious. She said she missed his laughter and they promised to support each other to the end. His sister wrote that her brother was brilliant and was truly one of a kind.
Cintron Perez wiped away tears after the statements were read aloud.
The judge told the victim's family he was sorry for their loss. To Cintron Perez, he told him he's still young and hopes once he's released, he can turn his life around.
Dotson's mother told a Star-Banner reporter after the hearing that she's glad it's over, and she went through a terrible ordeal as the case progressed. She said it's difficult to lose a child, calling it indescribable.
She said she plans to continue advocating for the eradication of fentanyl.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: After hung jury, man takes plea deal in fentanyl death case
