Lima man sentenced to 12 years for selling substance that caused overdose

Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced today that Loyd T. Turks, Jr., 26, of Lima, Ohio, was sentenced to 144 months imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Jack Zouhary. Turks pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl, methylfentanyl, heroin and cocaine; one count of distribution of methylfentanyl; one count of distribution of cocaine and two counts of distribution of U47700, a Schedule I controlled substance.

“This case illustrates that our message bears repeating: fentanyl and fentanyl analogues are mixed into other drugs, including heroin and cocaine, which increases the likelihood that fatal overdoses will result,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan. “We will continue to seek significant prison sentences for those who distribute this poison in our communities.”

On August 22, 2017, law enforcement agents received information from two individuals, Person #1 and Person #2, that Loyd Turks was a drug dealer in Lima, Ohio, who sold large quantities of illegal narcotics. Person #1 and Person #2 then conducted a controlled buy of cocaine from Turks and the next day, unbeknownst to law enforcement, Person #1 contacted Turks and purchased what was believed to be heroin. Person #1 ingested the suspect-heroin and subsequently overdosed. Person #2 found Person #1 unconscious and called 911. Emergency crews arrived and administered Narcan and Person #1 was revived and transported to the hospital. A sample amount of the drug ingested was retrieved and turned over to law enforcement, as well as a blood sample from Person #1.

Person #1 interviewed with law enforcement following the incident and informed the officer that Turks had forced Person #1 to ingest the substance in order to prove that he was not working with law enforcement. Person #1 agreed to recontact Turks and request to buy the same substance that had caused the overdose.

On August 24, 2017, a meeting was arranged to complete the transaction, and upon his arrival, Turks was arrested. Investigators searched Turks and found in his possession a white powdery substance. The substance found on Turks, the sample taken from the scene of the overdose and the blood sample of Person #1 all tested positive for a mixture of U47700 and fentanyl analogues.

Turks pleaded guilty to all five counts of the indictment in October of 2020.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the West Central Ohio Crime Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Ballard Tangeman and Michael J. Freeman.