Cincinnati Man Dudley Gets 25 Years for Fentanyl Overdose

Antoine Dudley, a 32-year-old from Cincinnati, Ohio, is headed to federal prison for 300 months after selling fentanyl that triggered a near-fatal overdose in Covington, Kentucky. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Amul Thapar, marks a grim milestone in the region’s battle with synthetic opioids.

Dudley pleaded guilty on October 27, 2016, in the middle of his trial, admitting to distributing fentanyl that caused serious bodily injury. Between September 1, 2014, and his arrest on May 8, 2015, Dudley repeatedly sold heroin and fentanyl to multiple buyers across Northern Kentucky, fueling addiction and endangering lives.

The case turned on evidence showing Dudley distributed the deadly drug on November 21, 2014, in Covington. The buyer stopped breathing almost immediately after use. Paramedics from the Covington Fire Department arrived in time to administer multiple doses of naloxone (Narcan®), reviving the victim after a harrowing struggle.

The overdose victim survived and has since made a full recovery, but investigators confirmed she would have died without the rapid response of emergency personnel. The incident underscores the razor-thin margin between survival and death in today’s fentanyl-saturated drug market.

Dudley must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for release. Upon release, he will face fifteen years of supervised probation, a condition meant to monitor his reentry into society and deter future criminal activity.

Kerry B. Harvey, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Amy Hess jointly announced the sentence. The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke prosecuting the case for the federal government.

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