charged with capital murder for his involvement in the death of a 40-year-oldJustin Maddox, 32, of Palm Coast, was sentenced to 16 years in prison today as part of a plea agreement that lowered the penalty to manslaughter for Jeremy Kocorowski of Bunnell in March 2024.
In a statement she presented to the court following the punishment, the victim’s mother stated that addiction is a disease. However, taking advantage of someone who is struggling is not. It is a predator. It’s deadly. And it was murder in this instance.
Every drug overdose death is investigated as a homicide by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office unless it is determined that it is not. Adam Gossett, a sheriff’s detective, was the principal investigator. Jason Lewis, an assistant state attorney, prosecuted the case.
Kocorowski had recently begun working at Builders First Choice in Bunnell and was going through a breakup at the time. Maddox sold him cocaine there on multiple occasions. The study found that the most common drugs were Oxycodone and occasionally Fentanyl, either in cash or through CashApp.Maddox was informed by Kocorowski that he would assist him in obtaining employment at the same company.
Following his split, Kocorowski has been lodging with a friend. He was still awake when she last saw him on the evening of March 27, 2024, at approximately 7 p.m. She fell asleep. Later, he joined her. At three in the morning, she recalled him exiting the bedroom. He wasn’t in bed at four when the alarm went off. After discovering him unconscious on the kitchen floor, she dialed 911 and began administering CPR.Kocorowski had passed away.
In addition, Maddox received a one-year term for three drug-related offenses, including a first-degree felony charge of fentanyl trafficking. The trafficking allegation was lowered to possession with intent to sell, and two lesser charges were discontinued.
Maddox was previously facing the death penalty or life in prison, but now he faces a 16-year sentence that could be reduced to about 12.5 years when his 490 days of credit for time spent in the county jail are applied, and the remaining time is made up of gain time, or time off for good behavior. Gain time, which does not include the time he spent in the county jail, can account for up to 15% of his prison term.
Since that day, Kocorowski’s mother told the court, every day has been a terrible hell. Jeremy was a buddy, a parent, a son, and a man attempting to start over after a period of hardship. His new employment had just begun. He was showing up, making an effort, and moving forward. The future he had was stolen by someone. The fact that the offender acknowledged seeing Jeremy at his workplace and selling him fentanyl multiple times only served to exacerbate the misery. This was no coincidence. This was a decision that ultimately led to my son’s death.
She talked about how her son’s passing affected the entire family, the empty holidays, and the heartbreaking life milestones that Jeremy’s daughter is experiencing without him.
According to Jeremy’s mother, his absence permeates every aspect of our life. My son will never grow old. I have to live with the fact that I will never receive another call, hug, or “I love you, Mom” for the rest of my life. To ensure that everyone in this courtroom knows that Jeremy mattered, I am here to pronounce my son’s name aloud. His life was worth more than how it ended, and he was and still is adored.
