BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A Rockledge man has been sentenced to federal prison for distributing a lethal dose of fentanyl.
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40-year-old Deonte Lee Barber pleaded guilty back in February to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl .
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According to the Department of Justice, a confidential informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration bought 167 grams of fentanyl from Barber through a number of controlled purchases.
In November of 2021, investigators say Barber supplied the informant with a batch of fentanyl that led to the information’s death in his Rockledge home.
Next to the informant’s body, police say they found a pink, plastic bag containing a substance later confirmed to be fentanyl. Investigators also found drugs, scales, and identical pink bags in a storage unit belonging to Barber.
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During Barber’s sentencing hearing, the Brevard County Medical Examiner testified that the informant had more than double the lethal amount of fentanyl in his system.
Investigators say they found text messages proving that Barber sold the fentanyl to the informant and even delivered it to him just hours before his mother found him dead and called 911.
According to the Department of Justice, after Barber learned of the informant’s death, he sent messages warning his other customers about how strong the drugs were.
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The judge in Barber’s case determined it was his distribution of fentanyl that directly caused the informant’s death, and agreed to an “enhanced” sentence.
Barber was sentenced Friday to 11 years and eight months in federal prison. His arrest was the result of a joint operation between the DEA, FBI, Rockledge Police Department, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Cocoa Police, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Fentanyl dealer receives enhanced prison sentence for overdose death. @DEAMIAMIDiv @FBITampa @ChooseRockledge @fdlepio https://t.co/r00b2JfwUW
— USAO Middle Florida (@USAO_MDFL) October 21, 2022
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