NEW UPDATE -Two Richmond Hill men face up to life in prison after another man's deadly fentanyl overdose.
According to David Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia, Javarus McKinney, 32, is charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl near a school.
Estes said a co-defendant, Darien Cothern, 32, also is charged with the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. The primary charge carries a possible penalty of up to life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
According to a release, Richmond Hill Police officers initiated an investigation on Aug. 12, 2020, after a man was found dead in a residential pool. An autopsy showed the man died from an overdose of fentanyl, and the indictment charges McKinney and Cothern with providing the illegal drugs.
In addition to the criminal charges, McKinney also faces forfeiture of $12,970 seized during the investigation, along with a 2017 Chevrolet Impala.
Criminal indictments include only charges and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, and the Richmond Hill Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank M. Pennington and Noah J. Abrams.
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