Kansas City, Missouri man sentenced in 2021 fentanyl overdose death

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that Daniele Leone, 33, of Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced to 61 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) for trafficking a controlled substance that resulted in the fentanyl overdose death of a 32-year-old Lawrence man.

Judge Stacey Donovan sentenced Leone, who pleaded guilty in September, to 61 months for voluntary manslaughter and 16 months for unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. The sentences are to run concurrently. Leone also will have to serve 36 months of post-release supervision and register as a violent offender for 15 years.

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on March 15, 2021, when the Lawrence man was discovered unresponsive in a home located in the E. 1300 block of 13th Street.

“The District Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who are putting these deadly drugs into our community,” said Senior Assistant District Attorney David Greenwald, who represented the state. “We’re also actively working together to reduce the stigma surrounding substance use and educating those in our neighborhoods and schools about the dangers of fentanyl.” 

The matter was investigated by the Lawrence Police Department, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

To find access to treatment and resources in Kansas, call 211. Also, visit Lawrence-based nonprofit DCCCA, which provides free naloxone (Narcan) nasal spray, fentanyl test strips and training to community organizations and Kansas residents, at http://bit.ly/3xyc9lU.