Man awaiting trial on drug-related charges dies while in custody at Leavenworth prison
A 28-year-old man died after he was found unresponsive at the U.S. penitentiary in Leavenworth, according to a news release from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Denix Heredia-Chang was found unresponsive about 7:15 p.m. Saturday at the Federal Correctional Institution in Leavenworth, prison officials said.
Prison staff responded and attempted life-saving measures and requested emergency medical services. An emergency medical crew pronounced Heredia-Chang deceased, according to the Bureau of Prisons.
Officials did not specify what caused Heredia-Chang’s death. The Bureau of Prisons notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service of his death.
Heredia-Chang had been held at the medium security prison since May 7, 2024, while awaiting trial on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and three counts of distribution of fentanyl, according to court records.
The crimes were alleged to have occurred between Nov. 1, 2021, and June 3, 2023.
A federal grand jury indicted Heredia-Change and two others in September 2023, and the indictment was sealed until his arrest in March 2024 in Arizona.
He made his first appearance in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kansas, in July 2024, where he pleaded not guilty, according to court records.
On Thursday, Heredia-Chang notified the court that he intended to change his plea, and a hearing was scheduled for June 17, according to court records.
No prison staff or other incarcerated persons were injured, the Bureau of Prisons said.
