Burr Ridge man gets 12 years for supplying drugs to Hinsdale woman who died from overdose

A Burr Ridge man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to supplying narcotics to a 23-year-old Hinsdale woman who subsequently died from a drug overdose.

Wasim Rashan, 30, of the 800 block of Lakeview Lane, pleaded guilty Sept. 20 in DuPage County Court to one count of drug induced homicide and one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

Rashan received a 10-year sentence – to be served at 75% – on the drug induced homicide charge and a consecutive two-year sentence – to be served at 50% – on the unlawful possession of a controlled substance with Intent to deliver charge.

On May 2, 2019, Rashan appeared at a bond hearing where bond was kept at $1 million in accordance with a previously issued arrest warrant. He has remained in custody since that time.

In the late evening hours of Jan. 14, 2019, Hinsdale police responded to a report of an unresponsive person at her home. Upon their arrival, authorities found the victim deceased, the apparent victim of a drug overdose.

Police recovered baggies in the victim’s bedroom containing a substance, later determined to be a heroin/fentanyl mixture. An investigation conducted by the DuPage Metropolitan Enforcement Group and Hinsdale police led to Rashan.

The following day, a search warrant was executed at Rashan’s home during which authorities found baggies that matched the baggies found at the victim’s home, a scale with drug residue on it, as well as a list of names and phone numbers that included the victim’s name and number. The investigation further revealed that the victim died from a drug overdose after ingesting a heroin/fentanyl mixture supplied to her by Rashan.

“In 2020, DuPage County suffered 112 opioid overdose deaths, a 17% increase from the year before” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “2020 also marked the first year that we grieved more than 100 deaths due to opioid overdose. To reduce this number of senseless deaths to the only acceptable number, which is zero, we must get these drugs off the streets. One way to do this is to hold those who bring these drugs to our communities accountable.

“A drug dealer, a friend or even a family member may have second thoughts about supplying this poison knowing that they will be looking at a significant amount of time behind bars if they are proved to be the source of a fatal overdose. Perhaps knowing that the man responsible for supplying that fatal dose will be held accountable will provide some measure of justice to the victim’s family and friends.”