(WNY News Now) – A Buffalo man will spend over three years in federal prison for obstructing justice during a fatal drug overdose investigation.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Roman Lapp, 50, of Buffalo, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for obstruction of justice, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced Thursday. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, the case stems from a fatal overdose in June 2019. Lapp was contacted by an individual seeking narcotics. He obtained heroin mixed with fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl from drug supplier Steven Gonzalez and delivered the drugs to the individual’s home. The individual later overdosed and died.

Lapp initially misled investigators from the Buffalo Police Department, identifying someone other than Gonzalez as the source of the drugs. He repeated the false information to federal law enforcement before eventually admitting he lied to protect Gonzalez.

Steven Gonzalez was later convicted in connection with the drug distribution and is currently serving a 188-month sentence in federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Buffalo Police Department as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which targets high-level criminal networks using a coordinated, multi-agency approach.

More information about the OCDETF program can be found at justice.gov/OCDETF.