Chickasha Man Sentenced to a Decade in Federal Prison for Distributing a Fentanyl Pill that Resulted in an Overdose
Case Demonstrates Importance of Drug Enforcement Administration’s “One Pill Can Kill” Campaign
Oklahoma City, OK – Yesterday, Marcus Lamar Richardson, 23, of Chickasha, was sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl.
On November 15, 2022, Richardson was charged by Superseding Information with distribution of fentanyl. According to public record, on or about December 30, 2021, Richardson distributed a pill containing fentanyl to co-defendant Brianna Rechell Hugar, 24, to deliver to another person. That person went on to overdose and nearly die as a result of the fentanyl. The victim survived only because of life saving measures by Chickasha Police.
On December 1, 2022, Richardson pleaded guilty to the Superseding Information charge.
“This sentence sends a message to drug traffickers who feed the drug addicted and line the pockets of criminal organizations,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division. “Mr. Richardson is being held accountable for the poison that found its way into our neighborhoods by his hand. Whether it is one pill of fentanyl or 1,000 pills, the DEA will never cease its efforts to rid these drugs from the streets of Oklahoma.”
“It only takes one deadly fentanyl-laced pill to cause a fatal overdose,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “Far too many have died due to the flood of fentanyl in the United States and Oklahoma. We stand with and support our DEA partners to do all we can to stop the illicit flow of fentanyl where we can and hold those who dispense this deadly poison accountable.”
At the sentencing hearing on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Richardson to 10 years in prison. In announcing the sentence, Judge Heaton noted the seriousness of the offense—particularly the near fatal consequence of his drug distribution—as well as the extent of the threat to the public posed by fentanyl, and thus, by extension, Richardson’s conduct. Judge Heaton noted that it took only half a pill for the victim to overdose, while also observing that Richardson was distributing significant quantities of this dangerous drug.
On August 23, 2023, Hugar was sentenced to serve 24 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl.
This case demonstrates the importance of our “One Pill Can Kill” campaign. More information about “One Pill Can Kill” can be found at https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
This case is a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Grady’s County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David McCrary and Elizabeth Joynes prosecuted the case.
