A St. Louis County man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for selling fentanyl that led to a woman’s death. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Forrest L. Smith, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance and two counts of distribution of fentanyl. He was sentenced in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
The victim was found dead in her home on October 5, 2021. Investigators discovered capsules containing fentanyl and text messages showing she arranged to buy drugs from Smith the day before. Smith was also caught selling fentanyl to an undercover officer on two occasions in November 2021. The FBI and the Town and Country Police Department conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Granger handled the prosecution.
The Drug Enforcement Administration reported seizing more than 55.5 million fentanyl pills and 7,800 pounds of fentanyl last year, with about half of the pills tested containing potentially lethal doses. The DEA said more than 258,000 overdose deaths occurred between 2013 and 2021, mostly involving illicitly manufactured fentanyl.
