Fentanyl dealer sentenced to 30 years in prison by Collin County jury

An Allen man who prosecutors described as a fentanyl dealer and who was linked to a fatal overdose was sentenced last week to 30 years in prison, according to the Collin County district attorney.

Denzel Joseph Johnson, 30, was found guilty by a jury of possession of four to 200 grams of fentanyl with the intent to resell, Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said in a social media post. In December 2022, Johnson was arrested at a gas station in McKinney, and police found a firearm, $7,000 in cash and 60 fentanyl pills disguised as Percocet, the post said.

Allen police also arrested Johnson three times in 2022 for fentanyl-related offenses, the post said. One of those arrests came in October 2022, when drugs sold by Johnson were linked to the death of a 27-year-old, the post said.

Details of this case and the other fentanyl-related arrests were provided to the jury during the sentencing hearing at trial, prosecutors said.

“Fentanyl dealers traffic in death,” Willis said in the post. “Johnson did that in October 2022 and did not stop despite the consequences. Fortunately, police intervened and likely saved another life by rearresting him in December. My office will continue to advocate for harsh prison sentences for anyone who sells fentanyl.”

According to the post, Johnson continued to deal drugs even after his arrest in 2022 and release from prison on bail.

Johnson's attorney did not respond to a phone message seeking comment.