Jury Convicts Two Tampa Men in Fentanyl Death of USF Student

TAMPA — A federal jury convicted two Tampa men of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in the death of a University of South Florida student, United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced.

Miguel Cintron, 38, and Darrius Gustafson, 22, each face a minimum penalty of 20 years up to life in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not yet been set.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Cintron, Gustafson, and two co-defendants — David Chudhabuddhi and Marquis Trant — distributed a lethal amount of fentanyl that killed the victim. After the student’s death, all four continued distributing fentanyl to undercover deputies and detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

The operation ended on April 10, 2024, when all four were arrested and law enforcement executed a search warrant at Cintron’s residence. Agents recovered more than seven kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl and over $200,000 in cash.

Chudhabuddhi and Trant previously pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing on June 18, 2026.

The case was investigated jointly by the University of South Florida Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich prosecuted the case.

Sentencing dates for Cintron and Gustafson have not been scheduled. Under federal law, the mandatory minimum of 20 years applies to distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.