Fentanyl dealer sentenced after pleading guilty in connection with death

Brock Troy Nieuwendorp was sentenced on Wednesday to 26 years in prison for distributing fentanyl that killed Catherine "Kate" Hackim last year. Nieuwendorp, 38, pleaded guilty earlier this year to distribution resulting in death.

The Lakewood Police Department investigation revealed that text messages and Cash App records showed Nieuwendorp selling small amounts of fentanyl to Hackim, 25, on numerous occasions dating back to February 2023, including on the day she died on April 29, 2023. Hackim's death was determined to be linked to combined drug intoxication.

"There is nothing in this world that could hurt more than losing a child," said Hackim's mother in court. "The best I can do is just try to survive each day."

Friends and family described Hackim as kind, and intelligent, with a love for animals. They described a young woman who was active in recovery, had fallen in love, gained employment, and was in school pursuing a neuroscience degree.

Her family urged the court to impose a sentence that would send a clear message to all those fueling and profiting from the fentanyl crisis.

Prosecutors argued for the maximum sentence, noting Nieuwendorp's 10 prior felony convictions, repeated failure at community-based supervision, and his most recent case where he was arrested for possession of drugs and a firearm months after Hackim's death.

The 1st Judicial District Attorney noted that, unlike Nieuwendorp, Hackim "never fed her addiction by selling drugs; instead, her involvement in the recovery community made her a beacon of hope, serving as a role model to others who struggled as she did."

When he sentenced Nieuwendorp to 26 years in prison, District Court Judge Christopher Zenisek highlighted the critical distinction between suffering from addiction and engaging in actions that actively harm others, noting that while both the victim and defendant battled addiction, "they chose to react to their addictions in starkly different ways."

The Hackim family released this statement, "We're so grateful for the care our daughter's case received over the past year from law enforcement, the prosecution team, our victim's advocate, and the judge. We're still grieving the loss of our beloved Kate, but we take great comfort in knowing that the community Kate loved will be a safer place for many years to come. We hope that this case will serve as a deterrent to those individuals considering dealing or using fentanyl and will bring us one step closer to Kate's dream of building a world that humanizes, cares for, and protects those who suffer from addiction. Kate would be proud of those who fought on her behalf and would appreciate the justice she received."