The first day of trial for 27-year-old Eligio Cintron Perez,who's charged with death caused by the unlawful distribution of fentanyl, included testimony from multiple witnesses for the state.
Here's what we know:
When did the trial start? Who are the judge and the lawyers? Trial began Aug. 25. Circuit Judge Steven Rogers is presiding. Assistant State Attorney Amy Berndt, defense attorney John Klein and defense paralegal Melody Hoover are the legal representatives.
About the case: Cintron Perez is accused of providing fentanyl to 22-year-old Simon Finley Dotson of Ocklawaha, who died of an overdose in April 2023.
What happened at trial? Prosecutor Berndt told the 14-member jury that Cintron Perez's devastating action caused the death of Dotson, who
took one pill that contained fentanyl.
The prosecutor said Dotson came from Virginia to his grandparents' home in Ocklawaha in 2022 to find a job. Dotson was employed at several businesses.
Dotson, who had a drug problem, met the defendant at one of his jobs, Berndt said. Three days before his death, Dotson contacted his dealer for Oxycodone.
When that person was unable to supply him with any Oxycodone, Dotson turned to Cintron Perez, Berndt said.
The men met the day before the victim's death. Dotson got seven pills and gave Cintron Perez one pill.
On the morning Dotson was found dead in his room, his grandparents noticed the lock on the door was still on. It meant their grandson was home and probably late for work.
His grandfather checked on Dotson and his body was cold. The man's wife called 911 and county paramedics arrived. Dotson was pronounced dead.
Marion County Sheriff's deputies investigated and were told Dotson had a drug issue. Searching the victim's room, they found pills and Dotson's cellphone.
Reviewing the phone, authorities saw Cintron Perez's name and drugs transaction between the men.
The pills were sent to a laboratory for testing. The pills were shown to have a high dose of fentanyl.
Defense attorney Klein said in his opening statement that the testing did not occur until more than a year after Dotson's death, even though an autopsy showed Dotson died from fentanyl toxicity.
Cintron Perez was arrested in December 2024, records show. The defense said in addition to the defendant's name, there was another name in the victim's phone. Yet the investigation focused on Cintron Perez.
The defense lawyer said there's no physical evidence linking the pills to Cintron Perez.
The prosecution called multiple witnesses including family members, sheriff's officials, and officials from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
According to testimony presented in court, Cintron Perez denied selling hard drugs, said he wasn't the middle man in this case, but admitted sending the text messages to Dotson.
On cross-examinations by the defense, state witnesses said they were unable to locate the drug supplier during their investigation. They also conceded that Cintron Perez's fingerprints and DNA were not recovered from the pills.
Prosecutor Berndt said though law enforcement officials were unable to locate the dealer, Cintron Perez was just as responsible as the dealer. Cintron Perez, when questioned by law enforcement, declined to identify the dealer.
An FDLE official testified that it doesn't take much fentanyl to kill someone.
The doctor who performed the autopsy told the court that fentanyl was a contributing factor in Dotson's death. The medical professional said the marijuana in the victim's body had nothing to do with his death.
Cross-examined by the defense, the doctor was unable to say if Dotson injected, snorted or swallowed the fentanyl. The doctor did not know how many pills Dotson took that ultimately caused his death.
The prosecutor asked if there were any needle or puncture marks on Dotson's body. The answer was no.
Berndt concluded her presentation after the doctor's testimony. The defense asked for a judgment of acquittal, which is customary.
The defense argued that if the testimony was to be believed, then of the seven pills, one was reportedly given to the defendant and five were recovered. That left only one pill for the victim, and defense attorney Klein said a single pill did not cause Dotson's death.
The prosecution disagreed and the judge ruled there was enough evidence for the jury to decide.
The defense rested without calling any witnesses. Cintron Perez told the court he did not want to testify in his own defense.
Closing arguments were scheduled for Aug. 26.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Trial begins for man charged in overdose death | Exclusive
