A Mabelvale man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fentanyl distribution charges connected to a deadly overdose.
According to federal prosecutors, 27-year-old Johnny Lee Underwood was sentenced Tuesday in the Eastern District of Arkansas on one count of fentanyl distribution and one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
Officials said the sentence also includes three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Authorities said Little Rock Police Department responded to a suspected overdose in June 2023. Despite life-saving efforts, the victim died at the scene.
Investigators later found a blue pill in the victim’s wallet, and an FBI investigation determined Underwood had sold counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to the victim and the victim’s girlfriend.
According to prosecutors, the victim consumed part of one of the pills shortly after purchasing it and later died from fentanyl toxicity.
Jonathan D. Ross, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, said the case highlights the dangers associated with counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills and the message that one pill can kill.
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