Rock Hill man who sold elephant opioid in woman’s overdose death sentenced to prison
A Rock Hill man has been sentenced to prison for selling an illegal pill that contained a deadly opioid used for tranquilizing elephants and other large animals. Prosecutors said the drug he sold was responsible for the overdose death of a York County woman.
Cordaris Michael Burris, 25, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after he pleaded guilty Thursday to distribution of drugs in the 2017 incident. Anna Smail, 21, died in 2017 after taking the drug carfentanil, court testimony showed Thursday.
Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid not approved for human use, but is used on large mammals such as elephants and elk, said Matthew Hogge, 16th Circuit Assistant Solicitor. Burris sold the pills to two friends of Smail who then gave it to Smail, Hogge said in court.
Burris pleaded guilty and faced a maximum sentence of seven years in prison after a negotiated guilty plea, court testimony Thursday showed.
Hogge asked in court for the maximum sentence.
“Mr. Burris has the price he has to pay as a reminder to drug dealers in York County,” Hogge said in court. “When they sell these killer pills and somebody dies from it, they have to pay the price.”
Federal DEA officials say carfentanil is 100 times more powerful than fentanyl and 100,000 times more powerful than morphine. DEA officials issued a public warning about contact with the drug after it surfaced on the streets in 2017.
Court testimony showed the pills had been hand pressed and illegally made and sold. However, there was no evidence that Burris made the pills, and his lawyers said in court that Burris believed he was selling a far less lethal drug.
Burris’ lawyer, Montrio Belton, said Burris was a college student who believed he was selling opioid roxicodone pills known as “Roxies.” Roxicodone pills in legal use are prescribed for pain, according to the FDA.
“He thought he was selling Roxies,” Belton said.
Belton said Burris did not press the pills and expressed remorse when he found out Smail died. Burris then cooperated with police, Belton said.
Belton said Burris had no previous convictions.
Belton and Burris’ other lawyer, Harry Dest, asked that Burris receive probation.
“This young man has tragically learned a great deal about the world of drugs, but at the same time he has grown as a person,” Dest said. “We are asking for fair treatment for a young man with no criminal record.”
Burris said in court he was sorry for what he did.
“This has been a life changing experience,” Burris told South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Dan Hall. “I am very remorseful and ashamed of my actions...I apologize to everyone...I hope you will grant me the opportunity to prove myself.”
Hall said the evidence presented showed that Burris sold the fatal drug, which passed through two sets of hands before it reached the victim.
“These drugs are illegal because they cause harm and cause death,” Hall said. “Individuals who sell drugs, they know the risk.”
Charges against the two women accused of getting the drugs from Burris, then giving the deadly pill to the victim who died, remain pending, prosecutors said.
This story was originally published October 2, 2020 at 8:13 AM.
