Man Arrested and Charged in Connection with Fatal Fentanyl Overdose

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Reston man was arrested today on charges of selling fentanyl to an individual who later overdosed on the drug and died.

According to court documents, Peter Andrew Romm, 38, regularly traveled to Baltimore to buy capsules of heroin and fentanyl that he then sold to customers in Northern Virginia. Romm’s customers included an individual identified in court documents as Victim 1. On Oct. 7, 2019, Romm allegedly sold fentanyl to Victim 1 through a middle-man. Victim 1 later consumed the fentanyl and was found dead in his home the next morning. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was acute fentanyl poisoning.

As recently as February, Romm was still traveling to Baltimore regularly to buy fentanyl. On February 11, Romm was arrested on his way back from Baltimore in possession of approximately 75 capsules of fentanyl. Only eight days later, on February 19, he was arrested again on his way back from Baltimore with another 72 capsules of fentanyl in his vehicle.

Romm is charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and death. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karolina Klyuchnikova are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:20-MJ-147.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.