A Jefferson County man charged with the sale of fentanyl to a woman who later died will serve up to 26 years — the first person in the county to face the aggravated penalties established by a law passed two years ago.

First Judicial District Court Judge Christopher Zenisek sentenced 38-year-old Brock Nieuwendorp on Thursday following charges of distribution resulting in death in connection to the overdose death of 25-year-old Catherine “Kate” Hackim in 2023.

The 26-year sentence marks the first sentencing in Jefferson County on drug-related death charges following the passage of House Bill 22-1326, which escalated lower-level offenses to the highest felony tier if a dealer sold the drug to a person who then died as a result of ingesting fentanyl.

On Apr. 29, 2023, Lakewood police officers searched Hackim’s apartment following a wellness check issued by her parents. After entering the apartment, officers found her body the couch.

Officers found a drawer in the bathroom with a small bag of blue M30 fentanyl pills, according to a former press release from the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Hackim’s autopsy found that she died accidentally on April 28 due to drug intoxication. Her toxicology report showed high levels of fentanyl and two other drugs indicative of the drug Suboxone, which is prescribed to people experiencing opiate withdrawal symptoms. She had previously been prescribed Suboxone before she passed away.

During Thursday’s sentencing, Hackim’s family and friends noted that she was active in recovery, had fallen in love, gained employment and was in school pursuing a neuroscience degree, according to a press release from the district attorney’s office.

“There is nothing in this world that could hurt more than losing a child,” Hackim’s mother said during the sentencing. “The best I can do is just try to survive each day.”

Through phone records, investigators connected the drug deal to Nieuwendorp on April 28. He had been allegedly selling her drugs since February 2023.

Nieuwendorp, who pleaded guilty earlier this year, faces an ongoing case in Denver, where he was arrested for possession of drugs and a firearm months after Hackim’s death.

Prosecutors, who noted that the suspect had 10 prior felony convictions, asked for a maximum sentence for the current charge, which would have been 32 years.

Those who spoke on behalf of Nieuwendorp noted his lifelong traumas, struggles with addiction and its genesis through the prescription of OxyContin for a knee injury. 

“My heart hurts so deeply for my victim and her family,” Nieuwendorp said to the court.

“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,” Hackim’s family said in a statement. “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,” the family added.