LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A Lubbock man will spend 20 years in prison for providing a woman the fentanyl that killed her.
Donnie Ford pleaded guilty to the second degree felony charge of manufacturing and delivery causing death.
He admits he gave the victim, referred to only as D. Vargas, the synthetic pills in 2024.
Vargas requested fentanyl specifically, and the pills killed her almost instantly.
Ford was originally charged with murder after the state enhanced penalties for fentanyl-related death in 2024. Prosecutors chose to accept a lesser charge because of Vargas’ choice.
Lubbock County Assistant District Attorney Russell Mayne said, “That statute was really designed to go after our drug kingpins, the guys who are moving tons of weight, causing tons of deaths in and around the counties, so that’s to get the people who are hiding fentanyl in the drugs and things like that.”
Ford’s defense attorney, Nick Olguin, said, “The fact the legislators decided to make the delivery of fentanyl a murder case, sort of like a strict liability case, I don’t think it’s really fair, I think there’s an element of personal responsibility from the victim in this case.”
Victim’s mother grieving for daughter
The victim’s mother told the court she’s grieving her daughter each day.
In a statement, she noted the state placed Vargas’ daughter with another family, so she has to watch her, in her words, “suffer because of something she had absolutely no control over.”
She said while the court can’t undo her loss, she hopes accountability will help her live with what happened.
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