Three drug dealers were sentenced to state prison – and a fourth dealer was convicted – for supplying fentanyl in four fatal overdoses in Lancaster County.

The four men were each charged with felony drug delivery resulting in death and other offenses. The four deaths were investigated separately.

Prosecutors determined all four defendants were profiting dealers; they did not supply heroin/fentanyl to support their own addictions.

Cooperation with police and prior criminal records were considered in plea agreement terms.

Alejandro Yens, Jesse Hernandez and Daniel Malena Velez Jr. pleaded guilty and were sentenced, per agreements.

- Kim Burgess Jr., 39, was convicted after a jury trial.

Assistant District Attorney Barry Goldman presented evidence that Burgess supplied fentanyl-laced heroin to a woman who died in Conestoga Township on Oct. 5, 2017.

At the verdict, Burgess’ bail was raised to $1 million. He will be sentenced in December.

Pennsylvania State Police filed charges.

- Alejandro Yens, 19, will serve 5 to 15 years for providing fentanyl to a woman who died Nov. 9, 2017, at her home on North Lime Street, Elizabethtown.

Elizabethtown Borough police Detective Dustin Ryan filed charges.

Yens was dealing drugs for a lengthy time period, according to ADA Goldman.

- Jessie Hernandez, 61, will serve 3 to 12 years in prison for providing fentanyl-laced heroin to a man who died in Lancaster city on March 30, 2018.

Police determined Hernandez was an intermediate between the victim and Wilfredo Perez-Lopez, who was the supplier.

Perez-Lopez, 41, was previously sentenced to 6½ to 15 years in prison.

Lancaster city police Detective Stanley Roache filed charges.

- Daniel Malena Velez, 21, will serve 6 to 15 years in prison for supplying to a man who died in his Manheim Township home on Nov. 20, 2018.

Manheim Township police Detective Christopher Dissinger, assisted by Lancaster city police’s Selective Enforcement Unit, traced the transaction to Malena Velez because of the way he packaged heroin: in tinfoil. (Heroin is traditionally sold in small baggies.)

Malena Velez has a prior felony drug conviction.

ADA Goldman arranged the plea agreements.

(Photo: clockwise from top left, Burgess, Yens, Hernandez, Malena Velez.)

MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright