CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — A Citrus County man will spend at least a decade behind bars for a fentanyl-related death that occurred in 2022, authorities said.
John Gromling, 32, of Beverly Hills was sentenced to 20 years in prison for first-degree murder after he unlawfully distributed fentanyl to 53-year-old Bruce Payne, who overdosed, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
Payne's death occurred in August 2022 at a home in Inverness, according to law enforcement. Deputies on the scene reportedly located drug paraphernalia that tested positive for fentanyl, and investigators were eventually able to identify Gromling as the one who supplied him with the lethal dose.
The sheriff's office says this is the second case of its kind in Citrus County and the first to result in conviction.
"Fentanyl is not just an illicit drug - it is a weapon of mass destruction and sadly a death sentence for many unsuspecting victims," Sheriff Mike Prendergast said in a news release. "I want to make my message clear - we will not tolerate these peddlers of death in our community."
Deputies said Gromling pleaded guilty and was sentenced for illegal distribution of fentanyl, resulting in death and possession of fentanyl.
In May 2022, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that made it a felony of first-degree murder if the distribution of fentanyl results in a person's death.
The change comes following recommendations from the Statewide Task Force on Opioid Abuse, which DeSantis established in April 2019, to address the opioid epidemic, the governor said during a news conference at the time.
