Man From the Republic of Congo Sentenced To 14 Years in Federal Prison for Selling a Tenth of a Gram of Fentanyl That Caused the Overdose Death of His Customer

BOISE - Boniface Binene, a/k/a "Bones," 25, a citizen of the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville, and a Lawful Permanent Resident of the United States, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl to another person that resulted in death, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.

According to court records, Binene pleaded guilty to the offense on November 19, 2025. Binene admitted to selling a tenth of a gram of fentanyl powder to Andrew (Connor) Doyle, on May 3, 2024, in Meridian, Idaho. Mr. Doyle, age 31, of Boise, Idaho, used the fentanyl powder and died in his parked vehicle in front of Binene's residence. The Ada County Coroner's Office preformed an autopsy and determined the victim died from acute fentanyl intoxication. The victim's mother, Kari Bryant, spoke at the sentencing hearing and advised the Court that the victim was participating actively in drug treatment and had 355 days clean, but had recently relapsed. She advised the Court that she is committed to raising awareness about the devastating impact "this weapon of mass destruction called fentanyl" has on families.

Chief U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Binene serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Binene was ordered to pay $1,773.08 in restitution for the family's funeral expenses. Because Binene was convicted of a crime which resulted in the death of the victim, Binene will likely be deported after serving his prison sentence.

U.S. Attorney Davis made the announcement and commended the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Meridian Police Department, Caldwell Police Department, and the Ada County Coroner's Office, which led to the charges.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian S. Nafzger prosecuted the case.

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