A Temecula man was sentenced Friday to more than 17 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl that led to a San Diego man’s fatal overdose.
David Michael Busse, 33, pleaded guilty to selling the dose that killed 35-year-old Brook W. Jacoby on May 20, 2021. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Jacoby was the father of a young daughter and had gotten engaged five days before his death.
The victim was found dead at the kitchen table of his apartment, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which said text messages between Busse and Jacoby were found on the victim’s cell phone.
In those messages, Jacoby had told Busse he had not used drugs in months and asked Busse whether he would be alright if he took only “an extremely small amount.”
Prosecutors say Busse also sent Jacoby screenshots of messages from another customer that indicated the strength of the fentanyl he was selling. That customer described losing their vision for several minutes after taking the drugs.
Along with Busse’s 210-month prison sentence, two of Busse’s customers were also sentenced for delivering the drugs to Jacoby.
Roger Bionogers Santiago, 36, of Valley Center, was sentenced to 78 months, while Vanessa Lanae Lathan, 31, of Spring Valley, received a 68-month term.
“It is very clear that this defendant recognized the potential — if not inevitable — consequences of continuing to deal this deadly drug,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “Because of his callous actions, another life has met the tragic end that fentanyl brings, and a family has lost its father, fiancé, son and brother.”
