An Ohio man has been sentenced to prison for the cocaine overdose death of his girlfriend’s 9-year-old son.
The Vindicator reports 38-year-old Kevin Gamble, of Youngstown, was sentenced Thursday in Mahoning County to 4 ½ years in prison after pleading guilty in October to involuntary manslaughter and endangering children charges.
Prosecutors say Marcus Lee, the son of Gamble’s girlfriend, died Dec. 26 after ingesting a large amount of cocaine belonging to Gamble, a convicted drug trafficker. The boy’s mother, Raenell Allen, told investigators Gamble was dealing drugs when Marcus died.
Gamble cried and expressed remorse at Thursday’s sentencing but denied responsibility for Marcus’ death, saying investigators used him as a “scapegoat” because of his criminal record.
Allen pleaded guilty in October to child endangering. She’s scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday.
