Carrollton resident Donovan Jude Andrews faces federal charges for conspiracy to possess fentanyl with intent to distribute.
A 20-year-old Carrollton drug dealer has been charged with a federal drug crime after allegedly using social media to advertise fentanyl pills to minors in the wake of two high-profile arrests, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Donovan Jude Andrews was arrested in Carrollton on Wednesday and charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford Friday morning and was ordered detained pending trial.
According to court documents, in early February 2023, Mr. Andrews allegedly commented on an Instagram post announcing the arrest of Luis Navarrete and Magaly Cano, the pair allegedly tied to at least ten juvenile overdoses in the Carrollton Farmers Branch School District.
Posting under the handle “deegetbandz_3x,” Mr. Andrews noted that Navarrete and Cano “took all the ATTENTION” from law enforcement and divulged that he was selling M/30 pills for $10 apiece. He later shared an Instagram post announcing the overdose deaths of three kids tied to Navarrete and Cano with the caption “F**k em come get em.”
Shortly thereafter, a 14-year-old girl suffering from an apparent fentanyl overdose told police that she purchased five M/30 pills from the individual using the “deegetbandz_3x” Instagram account. She said she paid the individual via cash app and he dropped the pills in her mailbox. Home surveillance video confirmed the delivery.
Law enforcement surveilled Mr. Andrews’ home and observed him allegedly conducting hand-to-hand transactions on the street outside. They also located an 18-year-old girl, a student at Hebron High School, who admitted to buying pills from a man named “Donovan” who used the “deegetbandz_3x” Instagram handle.
In early March, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a Toyota Camry linked to Mr. Andrews. Mr. Andrews, who had a baggie of pills stashed inside in his sock, sat in the passenger seat next to a 17-year-old driver. The 17-year-old, a student at Hebron High School, told law enforcement that he drove Mr. Andrews around in return for M30 fentanyl pills.
“Most of us recoiled in horror when we heard that nine Carrollton children suffered ten fentanyl overdoses in the span of just six months. Mr. Andrews, on the other hand, allegedly seized on the situation as a marketing opportunity. Knowing full well that fentanyl was killing our kids, he allegedly attempted to convert survivors into customers,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton.
The Justice Department works tirelessly to investigate and prosecute fentanyl traffickers. But when we arrest one dealer, another inevitably pops up to take his place. We need the community’s help to educate our kids about the danger of fentanyl. One pill – or even half or a quarter of one pill – can kill.”
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Andrews is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, as are Luis Navarrete and Magaly Cano.
If convicted, Mr. Andrews faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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