Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that Quentin D. Watson, 35, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker to 30 years in prison and ordered to pay $4,503.01 in restitution for the victim’s funeral costs after Watson was convicted at trial of distributing fentanyl that led to a fatal overdose, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“Thousands of lives have been lost, and so many families have endured crushing pain and suffering due to the opioid epidemic here and across the country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. “Drug dealers who exploit the vulnerabilities that addiction creates should be prepared to serve lengthy prison sentences.”
According to court documents and evidence presented during trial, on June 24, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to an Akron-area residence for a report of a drug overdose. Upon arrival, officers located a deceased individual and began an investigation. It was later determined that the decedent suffered an overdose after ingesting a fentanyl and heroin mixture.
While the investigation into the overdose death was ongoing, Watson was arrested on October 6, 2020, during a traffic stop after officers found that he possessed various amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine and a 9-millimeter pistol in his vehicle. Law enforcement later completed their investigation into the overdose death and determined that Watson did distribute a fentanyl mixture to the victim who ingested it, overdosed and died.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Akron Police Department, Akron Fire Department, Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Aaron P. Howell and Christopher J. Joyce.