Eastern Kentucky drug distributor is to blame for a user’s death, grand jury alleges
Three men in Eastern Kentucky have been indicted on drug distribution charges, and one of them is accused of being responsible for a drug user’s death, according to federal court records.
Justin Bryant, John Holbrooks and Jayshawn Robinson were federally indicted on Jan. 27 on a charge of conspiring to distribute heroin, fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl. Bryant additionally was charged with distributing fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl resulting in death, according to court records.
Para-fluorofentanyl is a synthetically-produced opioid and a relatively new variation of fentanyl, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. It’s among a group of synthetic opioids which have re-emerged in the U.S. in the past decade.
The group’s distribution acts allegedly occurred in Pike County on Oct. 12 and 13. Bryant distributed on Oct. 13 the fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl which resulted in the death of a person who was only identified in the indictment as “J.C.”
Bryant would face 20 years to life in prison and up to a $1 million fine if he’s convicted of distribution resulting in someone’s death, according to court records.
All three men could also face up to 20 years in prison and a maximum $1 million fine if they’re convicted of conspiracy to distribute the drugs. The potential punishment jumps to a maximum of 30 years in prison if they’ve had a prior felony drug conviction.
Efforts to stop overdose deaths
DEA officials in Kentucky said they couldn’t comment on specific drug investigations, but said trying to prosecute traffickers and distributors who are responsible for a drug user’s death is one of their highest priorities.
“There was a time where overdoses like this were kind of treated like tragic accidents,” said J. Todd Scott, the special agent in charge for the DEA’s Louisville Field Division. “ ... Starting from a street-level or community-level overdose is something we haven’t always done.”
Federal investigators now make efforts to work their way up the chain of supply on drug overdoses, Scott said. They’ll try to prosecute the highest-level actor from whom the user got their drugs. Scott said the agency places great importance on stopping overdoses in small communities, such as those in northern and Eastern Kentucky, where overdoses are especially prominent.
“I would argue that those deaths that we are stopping, those overdoses that we are stopping in a small community, are just as valuable as those high-value targets and those large drug loads that we’re getting on the (U.S.-Mexico) border,” Scott said.
Scott also said a lot of fentanyl overdoses are occurring because people are taking pills sold on the street which appear to be Adderall or OxyContin. But often those pills are actually “almost pure fentanyl or a significant enough amount of fentanyl to be fatal.” He urges people to avoid pills that aren’t from a pharmacy and prescribed by a doctor.
What happens next?
Robinson made his initial appearance in federal court Tuesday, according to court records. He pleaded not guilty and a trial was scheduled to begin April 12. Robinson also was facing a federal charge for allegedly distributing a meth mixture in a separate case, according to court records.
Neither Bryant nor Holbrooks have appeared in court yet for this case. Bryant is scheduled to appear on Feb. 15, according to court records.
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 1:15 PM.
CORRECTION: DEA stands for Drug Enforcement Administration. This information was incorrect in a previous version of this story.