United States Drug Enforcement Administration

ST. LOUIS – A man suspected of supplying drugs to a St. Charles mother who died last month was indicted Wednesday on a charge of possession and distribution of fentanyl.

The woman’s children, ages 2, 4 and 2 months, had been alone in a bedroom after their mother’s death for as many as 20 hours before their screaming alerted a neighbor, charging documents say.

Charging documents say Valentino Terez Carpenter, 37, of Maryland Heights, sold two capsules containing suspected fentanyl to the victim at her home on Lindenwood Avenue early on the morning of June 21 for $10. Investigators believe Carpenter was aware the woman’s children were in the home. About three hours later, he warned her not to ingest a whole capsule, adding “you almost died last night.”

At about 7:40 p.m. that night, a neighbor heard the screams of the victim’s children and entered the apartment, discovering the victim dead on the couch and the children confined to a bedroom with a baby gate.

Police found one black and white capsule which tested positive for fentanyl in a field test, and Facebook messages in which the victim told Carpenter she wanted to buy fentanyl, charging documents say.

Carpenter was arrested July 7 at his home and was charged by complaint July 8 with distribution of a controlled substance.

“While the facts in this case are appalling, it is just one of many currently being investigated by law enforcement in the St. Louis area, and every case seems more tragic than the next,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming Wednesday.

U.S. Attorney Fleming also thanked the hard work of those who helped the children and investigated the case. “The children are now safe and in the care of relatives,” she said.

“This is another example of how fentanyl is impacting our communities in tragic ways,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Davis, head of DEA’s St. Louis Division. “Fentanyl is killing Americans at an unprecedented rate. Our best defense against this deadly drug is awareness of its danger, helping those who suffer from substance use or mental health disorders find help, and continued enforcement of the drug laws.”

The drug charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years and prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both.

Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Charles Police Department and the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force.