A Denton man was sentenced last week to 20 years in federal prison for his role in a fatal fentanyl overdose, announced Abe McGlothin, Jr., Acting U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Texas .
Courtney Green, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Green was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison on Jan. 30 by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant.
Co-defendant Tiffane Chantial Volz, 37, also of Denton, pleaded guilty to the same charge and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Mazzant on Feb. 18.
According to information presented in court, on April 15, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a reported overdose death on Heatherton Drive in Celina, according to a news release from McGlothlin’s office. Autopsy results determined the victim died of pulmonary congestion and edema due to the toxic effects of fentanyl. An investigation revealed emails and text messages between the victim and Green discussing the distribution of prescription pills. Further investigation determined Volz to be Green’s source of supply.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has issued a Public Safety Alert warning Americans of the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to the news release. The Public Safety Alert coincides with the launch of DEA’s One Pill Can Kill Public Awareness Campaign to educate the public of the dangers of counterfeit pills and urges all Americans to take only medications prescribed by a medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of a significant nationwide surge in fake pills that are mass-produced by criminal drug networks in labs, deceptively marketed as legitimate prescription pills, and are killing unsuspecting Americans at an unprecedented rate. For more information, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
