Collier County woman sentenced to 25 years in prison for her role in fatal fentanyl overdose

A Collier County woman will spend a quarter-century behind bars after pleading no contest to charges stemming from a fatal 2023 fentanyl overdose, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office announced yesterday.

Thirty-year-old Michaelle Jean Haire entered her plea during a Tuesday court hearing, admitting to manslaughter and sale or delivery of fentanyl in connection with the death of a 34-year-old Golden Gate Estates man. The judge sentenced her to 15 years for manslaughter and 10 years for the drug charge, ordering the terms to run consecutively.

The sentencing marks the end of a lengthy investigation that began on September 3, 2023, when Haire called deputies after finding the victim unresponsive inside his home. Responding CCSO units discovered drug paraphernalia scattered across the bedroom and the victim already deceased.

A medical examiner later ruled the death an accidental overdose involving fentanyl, nordiazepam, and other substances.

Detectives soon identified Haire as the source of the drugs that led to the man’s death. She was indicted on first-degree murder in April 2024 before ultimately entering her no-contest plea to reduced charges. Haire, already a convicted felon in Collier County, had been staying with the victim on the night of the overdose.

Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said the outcome sends a clear message to those who choose to traffic lethal narcotics in the community.

“We will continue to hold drug dealers accountable for the lives they destroy,” Rambosk said, underscoring the agency’s stance against fentanyl-related crimes.

With no shortage of fentanyl overdose deaths across Florida, CCSO says the case reflects its ongoing effort to confront the county’s drug crisis head-on and pursue justice for victims and their families.

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(Source and Michaelle Jean Haire booking photo: CCSO)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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