A North Richland Hills man has been sentenced to six years in prison after admitting his role in a fentanyl-related overdose that killed 35-year-old Stephan McMullen in January 2024.
Guilty plea and sentence
Yesterday, Steven Strinko pleaded guilty to manslaughter and told the court his actions recklessly caused McMullen’s death. Criminal District Court No. 4 Judge Andy Porter accepted the plea agreement and handed down a six-year sentence, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Prosecutors said the deal resolved the case without taking Strinko to trial on a potential murder charge that could have brought far tougher penalties.
Investigation and arrests
The North Richland Hills Special Investigations Unit launched its case after emergency crews found McMullen unresponsive in the 900 block of Lincolnshire Lane on Jan. 25, 2024. Investigators treated the death as a fentanyl poisoning from the start. North Richland Hills police arrested Strinko in May 2024, and another suspect, Gary Adam Hughes, was taken into custody in…..