Man is first drug dealer in Middle District of Alabama convicted of fentanyl death

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MONTGOMERY, Alabama (WSFA) – For the first time in River Region history, someone has been convicted in federal court for distributing fentanyl resulting in death, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Alabama.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is being updated to clarify this conviction was the first in the Middle District of Alabama, not the first conviction in the nation.]

Lawrence Coley III, 37, of Montgomery, sold pills that looked like oxycodone but contained fentanyl instead. He was found guilty Thursday of possession of fentanyl with intent to resell and resale of a controlled substance causing death.

Coley's sentencing is expected in the next few months; he faces 20 years to life in a federal prison.

Authorities said Coley had been supplying the victim with illegal drugs for over a year. The investigation revealed that these drug sales occurred almost daily, sometimes multiple times a day.

Witness statements also stated that Coley administered drugs to the victim on the morning of his death on August 26, 2022. The victim was found dead in a vehicle outside a home with the ignition on and the doors locked.

A search of Coley's home turned up 70 blue pills with “M” written on one side and “30” on the other, according to the indictment. Their color and markings made them look like pharmaceutical oxycodone tablets.

When Coley was arrested during a traffic stop, he had five more counterfeit fentanyl pills on him.

A coroner concluded that the victim died from fentanyl, while experts said there was a lethal dose four to five times higher in his blood.

“Counterfeit pills containing fentanyl have become commonplace in Alabama and across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. “Everyone should assume that any pill not from a doctor or pharmacy may contain a lethal dose of fentanyl or another deadly drug. My office is committed to holding individuals who sell these dangerous pills accountable.”

“The Drug Enforcement Administration's top priority is to hold accountable those individuals and drug trafficking organizations that poison our communities with deadly drugs like fentanyl,” said Steven Hofer, DEA Special Agent in Charge. “Today's conviction is a step forward in our mission to build teams that save lives and make communities safer. As we celebrate this victory, we must remember the tragic death caused by the callous disregard for human life that this individual demonstrated. The conviction sends a clear message: Those who put profit above people will be held accountable.”

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