A Boulder County jury Friday convicted a Longmont man of manslaughter, distribution of a controlled substance and various other charges related to the March 2020 death of a Lafayette woman. Prosecutors outlined their case against Sammy Lee Valdez in a week-long jury trial.
They said that Valetta Kroeger was found unresponsive by her boyfriend after taking what the couple thought was one oxycodone pill apiece.
After an extensive investigation by the Boulder County Drug Task Force, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office arrested Valdez on Dec. 23, 2021, in connection to the Kroeger's death, according to court documents.
The documents noted that Valdez used Snapchat to sell his drugs. He advertised the fentanyl pills as "press fetty," which is slang for pressed fentanyl, saying he had 30 mg available. He was also selling "real" 30 mg Oxycodone pills, according to court records.
It was Valdez' social media sales that led detectives to him. Kroeger's boyfriend shared the name of the Snapchat account of his drug dealer, which allowed investigators to identify Valdez as the suspect.
Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty remarked Friday after the verdict that "fentanyl dealers, such as this defendant, who seek to profit from dealing deadly drugs, must be held fully accountable."
Valdez' sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 2, 2023.