DENVER — A Colorado man was sentenced to 26 years in prison Wednesday for distributing fentanyl to a young woman who died of an overdose, according to a spokesperson with the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Brock Troy Nieuwendorp, 38, was sentenced Wednesday in the Department of Corrections for distributing the synthetic opioid that killed 25-year-old Catherine “Kate” Hackim on April 29, 2023.
Nieuwendorp pleaded guilty earlier this year to distribution resulting in death and faced between eight to 32 years in prison, the DA spokesperson said.
Prosecutors, however, argued for the maximum sentence, highlighting the fact he had 10 prior felony convictions, had failed at community-based supervision several times, and noted his most recent Denver case, where he was arrested for possession of drugs and a firearm months after Hackim’s death, according to a news release.
Hackim’s family also urged the court to impose a sentence “long enough to send a loud and clear message to all individuals fueling and profiting from the fentanyl crisis,” the news release states.
In court Wednesday, District Court Judge Christopher Zenisek said Nieuwendorp’s action “were destined to cause harm to somebody, if not to Hackim, to somebody else.”
“Where does the addiction end, and the responsibility begin? Part of the answer is when people get hurt, and definitely when people die,” Zenisek said.
In a statement, Hackim’s family said they hoped the case would serve as a deterrent to people considering dealing or using fentanyl.
An investigation into the case by the Lakewood Police Department revealed Nieuwendorp had sold fentanyl in small amounts to Hackim on numerous occasions, dating back to February 2023, including on the date of her death, the news release states.
Her cause of death was listed as accidental due to combined drug intoxication.
