Lincoln man gets over 25 years in prison for overdose that resulted in death

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A Lincoln man will spend over two decades in prison for selling fentanyl that caused an overdose death.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said 52-year-old Russell Rucks was sentenced Friday to 26 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine mixed with fentanyl, resulting in the death of one person and serious bodily injuries to two others.

U.S. District Judge John Gerrard also ordered Rucks to pay $5,084 to the federal government and another $9,700 to the mother of the victim who died.

On July 24, 2021, a Lincoln woman called 911 after her fiancé collapsed, the attorney’s office said.

First responders used Narcan twice to revive the victim, who was taken to a hospital.  The victim told investigators that he had been buying cocaine from Rucks for about a year.

Three days later, two men overdosed at a home in Lincoln.  One of the victims died less than a month later, according to the attorney’s office.

The surviving victim told investigators that they bought cocaine from Rucks.  Drug residue on items at the house was later analyzed and found to have contained fentanyl.

On Aug. 11, 2021, authorities arrested Ruck, who was in possession of a small amount of cocaine, the attorney’s office said.

Later on, authorities served a search warrant at his home and found 6.8 pounds of cocaine, a scale and nearly $4,000 in cash.

After his prison sentence, Rucks will serve a five-year term of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.