A Gaithersburg man pleaded guilty Monday to selling fentanyl to a 15-year-old girl — a drug-trafficking offense that later led to her death, according to the Department of Justice.

Kelvin Reyes, 27, faces 12 to 17 years in federal prison for selling drugs to the teenager, who is not identified, in 2023, authorities said in a news release.

The girl contacted Reyes on Instagram on the night of Jan. 13, 2023, about purchasing fentanyl, and the two agreed to meet in the early-morning hours on Jan. 14 near an elementary school close to her Montgomery County home, federal officials said.

Investigators said Reyes’ phone records show him near the location on the morning of Jan. 14, and his social media presence indicated he was selling fentanyl. Doorbell camera footage from the teenager’s home showed her leaving and returning around the same time, the Justice Department said.

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Around 7 a.m. on Jan. 14, 2023, the teen girl’s mom found her lying in a fetal position with fluid flowing from her nose and mouth and a burnt piece of aluminum foil and fentanyl residue near her, the release said. According to the Justice Department, an autopsy revealed she died from fentanyl intoxication.

“As a result of Reyes’s callous actions and disregard for human life, a 15-year-old girl is dead,” U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes said in a statement. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to holding those accountable who endanger our children and neighborhoods by dealing poison in our communities.”

Reyes is set to be sentenced on Sept. 17.