Judge sentences Munhall man to 25-50 years in toddler fentanyl death

Help was as close as a phone call, an internet search or just stopping by a police station or hospital.

But, the judge told James Kraft, he chose none of those.

Instead, Kraft remained trapped in his addiction, living in a Munhall apartment strewn with thousands of empty stamp bags and needles in the same places where his children’s toys, food and clothes were kept.

One of those children, his 2-year-old son, Robbie, paid the price for that addiction, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jennifer Satler said Monday.

And Kraft now had to pay his.

“You stockpiled the instruments of your son’s death,” Satler said. “You imposed a death sentence upon him.”

She ordered Kraft, 41, to serve 25 to 50 years in prison.

A jury convicted Kraft of third-degree murder and three counts each of endangering the welfare of children and reckless endangerment on July 26.

Robbie died from fentanyl poisoning. Another of his brothers — who were 7 and 4 — also showed symptoms of poisoning at the time.

Both Kraft and Robbie’s mother, Paige Hufnagel, were charged in the case.

Hufnagel pleaded guilty in September to three counts of endangering the welfare of children and will be sentenced on Dec. 16.

Previously, Kraft was also offered a deal to plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter and endangerment, but he turned it down.

At trial, Assistant District Attorney Tom Kelly urged jurors to convict Kraft of third-degree murder, a killing which requires malice.

He recounted evidence, including body camera footage from officers who responded that day to a call that Robbie was unresponsive.

The video showed officers walking over mounds of garbage, including empty stamp bags.

Kraft later told them he saved the bags to ingest the residue.

The trial was held largely without him; Kraft refused to comply with the judge’s orders and continually acted out.

On Monday, Kraft began to cry as his attorney, who said his client has depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, asked the court for leniency.

“All of his convictions, your honor, stem from drugs,” said attorney Kelvin Morris. “If Mr. Kraft were not using drugs, he would not be in this courtroom. His son would be alive.”

Kraft spoke briefly, telling the court he’s been living in purgatory.

“Every second of every day, I have lived with what happened,” he said. “My son is no longer here because of me.”

In a brief argument, the prosecution noted that there were three victims in the case. Kelly asked the judge to run Kraft’s sentences consecutively for each one.

She did just that. Kraft was ordered to serve 15 to 30 years for Robbie’s death plus additional time for the endangerment charges.

Although Satler acknowledged Kraft’s drug use, she did not let the defendant use it as an excuse.

“There has never been a better time in history to get treatment for addiction,” she said. “You have to want to take those first steps.”

She told Kraft he could have sought help in many places. He also could have started, she said, with the most simple of steps — throwing out the discarded stamp bags and loaded needles throughout the family’s apartment.

He could have called a neighbor or Children and Youth Services to get help, the judge said.

“Again,” Satler said, “you have to want to try.”