A West Virginia man has been sentenced to 14 years in connection with a fentanyl case.

“West Virginia is in an overdose crisis," U.S. Attorney Will Thompson said in a release announcing the sentence. "Overdose deaths are increasing in our state and most of them involve fentanyl."

Court documents indicate Brian Vineyard, 49, of Charleston sold 3.5 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $450 on Sept. 9, 2020. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that carries a high risk for addiction and dependence. It’s also can be deadly, and has been identified as one of the major contributors in many overdose cases. 

Before imposing the sentence, the court also learned that Vineyard sold the drug to another confidential informant Sept. 14 and Sept. 16.

In building the case against him, officers got a search warrant for Vineyard’s home after the three mentioned deals. They found fentanyl in a safe in the home, and authorities were able to link him to almost 67 grams of the opioid.