Cleveland Man Convicted of Distributing Fentanyl that Led to Overdose Death

Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that a federal jury convicted Devonte L. Fellows, 26, of Cleveland, Ohio, on Friday, March 25, 2022, of distributing fentanyl that led to the death of an individual.  The jury returned the verdict after a four-day trial before Judge Donald C. Nugent in Cleveland.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, detectives with the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department began an investigation into the April 26, 2019, overdose death of an individual found unresponsive.  During the investigation, law enforcement officers recovered a substance containing fentanyl from the deceased’s residence.  The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office performed a full autopsy and determined that the cause of death was acute fentanyl toxicity.   

Court records state that investigators later determined that Defendant Devonte L. Fellows distributed a fentanyl mixture to the victim, who ingested it, overdosed and died.  During an interview with investigators, Fellows admitted to selling drugs, including fentanyl, to the deceased.

Fellows is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30, 2022.  He faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.

This investigation was conducted by the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department and the FBI.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter E. Daly and Christopher J. Joyce.

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