Kenmore woman sentenced for selling fentanyl-laced cocaine that caused fatal overdose

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- A Kenmore woman was sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison Thursday for selling fentanyl-laced cocaine that led to a fatal overdose, the Erie County District Attorney's Office announced.

Ashley M. Holmes, 36, sold a quantity of fentanyl-laced cocaine to Robert R. Chimera, 47, which caused the victim to fatally overdose on Linden Avenue in Buffalo. Holmes was arrested on Aug. 19, 2023 following an investigation into Chimera's death.

Holmes received the maximum sentence after pleading guilty to one count of criminally negligent homicide in June.

“Far too many people in Erie County have died from an opioid overdose," said Acting Erie County District Attorney Mike Keane in a release.

"This case highlights the need for the passage of Chelsey’s Law. This defendant knowingly sold cocaine mixed with a deadly amount of fentanyl to her friend, which resulted in his tragic death. If this legislation had been in effect, we could have charged this defendant with manslaughter, and if convicted she would have faced up to 15 years in prison. I will continue to urge our state legislators to pass Chelsey’s Law, which will help New York State prosecutors hold drug dealers who sell lethal drugs like fentanyl accountable for these deaths."