Matthew David Adams, Fentanyl Distribution, PA 2016

PITTSBURGH — Matthew David Adams, 29, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl that caused the fatal overdose of Jesse James King on April 19, 2016. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti, marks a grim milestone in the ongoing battle against synthetic opioids flooding Western Pennsylvania.

Adams admitted in court to dealing heroin and fentanyl stamped with the brand ‘OMG.’ Among the 15 stamp bags sold were two laced with lethal doses of fentanyl, which were passed to King in Houston Borough, Washington County. King died shortly after use. Toxicology reports confirmed fentanyl as the primary cause of death, linking the substance directly to Adams’ supply chain.

Law enforcement moved swiftly after identifying Adams as the source. During his arrest, officers found additional stamp bags containing both fentanyl and heroin in his possession. The evidence, combined with witness testimony and investigative work, sealed his guilty plea. Adams acknowledged in court that the drugs he sold led to King’s death — a moment Judge Conti called irreversible and unforgivable.

‘You will carry this for the rest of your life,’ Judge Conti told Adams during sentencing. The court ordered five years of supervised release following his 8-year prison term, imposing strict conditions: Adams must work at least 30 hours per week, avoid contact with known felons, report any police encounters to his probation officer, and actively pay his debt to society.

Adams, speaking directly to the court, offered a personal apology for his role in King’s death. But remorse doesn’t erase the damage. Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt of the Violent Crime Section, emphasized that drug dealers pushing fentanyl bear direct responsibility when users die — and will be treated as killers under federal law.

U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady credited a broad coalition of agencies for cracking the case: the DEA, Washington County Drug Task Force, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Washington County District Attorney’s Office, and multiple local departments — including Canonsburg, Stowe Township, Donora, Monessen, and Charleroi Police. The Washington County Coroner’s Office and Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office provided critical forensic support.

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