FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A Fayetteville man that pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl that later caused an overdose death has been sentenced to 38 years in prison.
Ethan Driskill, 32, was arrested in April 2022.
Driskill was initially charged on seven counts of various crimes in a federal indictment, to which he pleaded not guilty.
He later changed his plea. As part of a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to the distribution of a mixture or substance that contained fentanyl resulting in the death of a person while the other charges were dismissed.
Court documents say that Driskill was identified by law enforcement agents at some point as a fentanyl distributor operating in Northwest Arkansas.
The documents say that on Feb. 3, 2022, the Fayetteville Police Department responded to a report of a drug overdose resulting in the death of an individual. Upon arriving on the scene, officers located a deceased 29-year-old adult male.
Police reportedly came into contact with the victim’s girlfriend, who told police that Driskill had made arrangements with the two to sell them heroin, which court documents say was laced with fentanyl.
During an interview with police, Driskill admitted to selling fentanyl in both powder and counterfeit pill form in Northwest Arkansas. He also admitted to selling the victim’s girlfriend a mixture of a substance containing fentanyl.
