Florida man could spend life in jail for supplying fentanyl to woman who drowned

A Florida man could face life in prison after a federal jury found him guilty of selling fentanyl to a woman who later drowned in a bathtub.

Ludwin Borgen, 49, of Apollo Beach, was found guilty of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and now faces a minimum sentence of 20 years up to life in prison at his sentencing on June 16, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office Middle District of Florida.

Evidence at the trial showed that Borgen was a drug dealer in the Tampa Bay area and had supplied the unidentified victim with fentanyl on several occasions.

According to information provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the victim has started reaching out to Borgen late in the evening on March 28, 2022, to arrange a perchance of fentanyl the next day.

On that day, officials said the victim met with Borgen at a pharmacy, and she bought fentanyl from him.

That night, officials said, she injected herself with the fentanyl while soaking in a bathtub. While she was intoxicated with the fentanyl, she slid under the water and drowned.

When her friend noticed she had been in the bathroom for a long time, she checked on her and found her body in the bathtub with her head under the water and a syringe floating in the water, officials said.

According to the U.S. Attorney's office, toxicology results showed that the victim had approximately 10 times the therapeutic concentration of fentanyl in her system, which is a concentration consistent with overdose deaths.

Officials said that the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office was able to identify Borgen as the person who sold her the fentanyl.

When he was arrested, officials said they found him with fentanyl, baggies, syringes and a scale.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hillsborough County Sheriff; Office, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.