U. S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming | U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp sentenced Deontae’ Tre’Von Overall to 23 years and eight months in prison for selling counterfeit Percocet pills that resulted in a fatal fentanyl overdose in St. Louis County in 2022.
“I’m going to send a message to other drug dealers,” stated Judge Schelp, who also mandated Overall to pay $21,736 in restitution to the victim’s family.
During the trial, evidence revealed that on December 3, 2022, the victim contacted Overall seeking Percocet. The victim purchased three pills from Overall at his home, which led to his death later that evening due to fentanyl intoxication. He was found by his parents and sister the next day.
Investigators from the St. Louis County Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) traced the drugs back to Overall by arranging further purchases of fake Percocet through his phone. On July 19 and July 26, 2023, he sold fentanyl and methamphetamine respectively to an undercover officer. A search of his Belleville home on August 3 uncovered drug paraphernalia and pills similar to those sold earlier.
Overall admitted guilt on September 6 for distributing controlled substances during one of these transactions. Jurors subsequently found him guilty of distributing fentanyl resulting in death.
Judge Schelp criticized Overall for "glorifying" drug dealing, referencing a music video where he discussed selling drugs while under house arrest.
Assistant Special Agent Colin Dickey from DEA Eastern Missouri emphasized the dangers of non-prescribed pills: “The victim of this man’s illegal business was poisoned by a pill no one could have known was in it.” He noted a decrease in drug-induced deaths nationwide as well as a reduction in lethal doses found in tested pills.
The case was managed by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa Epplin and Jerome McDonald with investigations conducted by both local police and DEA officials.