A 21-year-old Marion man has been convicted of distributing the deadly drug fentanyl, which has claimed numerous lives in the region.
Dakota Shadoe Tunnell pleaded guilty to one count of possessing with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
The crime took place in the Marion area, where Tunnell had been purchasing 300 to 500 pills at a time from his supplier and redistributing them.
On September 5, 2021, law enforcement executed a controlled purchase of approximately 100 pills from Tunnell for $1,700.
‘The sale of fentanyl has grown dramatically in Southwest Virginia,’ said U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh. ‘People need to be aware of the dangers associated with these illegal ‘pressed pills’ because one pill can kill.’
Tunnell is scheduled to be sentenced on January 25, 2022, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of up to 40 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit D. Pierce is prosecuting the case.
Related Federal Cases
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- Keith Antonio Cohens, Heroin Distribution, West Virginia 2023 · Michigan
- Jessica Dawn Prince, Heroin Distribution, West Virginia 2023 · Michigan
- Carlos A. Brown, Heroin Distribution, Virginia 2024 · Kentucky
- Robert Alan Durkee, Heroin and Fentanyl Distribution, VA 2024 · Virginia
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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