St. Louis Fentanyl Dealer Hit With 20 Years in Teen’s Fake Pill Death

A St. Louis drug dealer who sold a fake Xanax-style pill laced with fentanyl that killed a 16-year-old high school student has been ordered to spend the next two decades in federal prison.

Prosecutors say 23-year-old Zaki Salman admitted his role in dealing counterfeit pills after a dose he supplied led to the November 2022 death of Saint Louis Priory student Gage Huesgen. Salman pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges tied to the drug operation and was sentenced to 20 years behind bars.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Salman admitted to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, maintaining a drug-involved premises and distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury. Prosecutors said he rented a home in the 4400 block of Ohio Street in St. Louis and, along with co-defendants, bought pills in California and advertised them on social media. When officers searched the house, they recovered cocaine, MDMA, fentanyl, amphetamine and prescription pills.

Court filings state that fentanyl obtained at the Ohio Street residence on November 19, 2022, resulted in Huesgen's fatal overdose.

U.S. District Judge Cristian Stevens imposed the 20-year sentence at a hearing attended by Huesgen's family. Salman told the court he was remorseful. The punishment came in significantly higher than some pre-sentencing recommendations, roughly double what prosecutors requested, as reported by FOX 2.

Huesgen was remembered as a bright student and athlete who loved learning and the outdoors, according to Legacy.com.

Charges and Sentence

Salman's guilty pleas cover counts that each carry a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The case was prosecuted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and several local police task forces.

How Dealers Reached Teens Online

Investigators say Salman and his co-defendants leaned heavily on social media to find customers. They marketed pills on Telegram and Instagram and vetted potential buyers at parties and through direct messages, according to KTTN and court filings. The group offered both legitimate-brand opioids and counterfeit tablets pressed with fentanyl, which meant users often had little way of knowing what they were actually taking.

Federal Warning

The Drug Enforcement Administration's "One Pill Can Kill" campaign warns that a large share of counterfeit prescription pills on the street now contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. Federal lab testing has found that many fake tablets carry dangerous amounts of the synthetic opioid, a finding officials cite to justify aggressive enforcement and public outreach.

The convictions and sentencing in Salman's case mark a measure of closure for Huesgen's family, while underscoring the broader risk counterfeit pills pose to teenagers and the wider community. Local law enforcement officials say the investigation remains active as they continue to track online drug sales and the presses used to manufacture fake pills.