Statesville, man accused of providing drugs in fatal overdose, sheriff says

IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — A 25-year-old Statesville man has been arrested in connection with the death of another man who overdosed on fentanyl, according to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.

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Deputies responding to a death investigation on Miller Farm Road west of Statesville on Thursday and found a man dead in a bathroom, Sheriff Darren Campbell said in a news release on Tuesday. Drug paraphernalia found on the scene led the deputies to believe the death possibly was related to narcotics use, Campbell said.

A detective who interviewed the family learned the man had overdosed on fentanyl and was taken to a medical facility for treatment. An autopsy performed on the man by the medical examiner’s office determined the man died of a fentanyl overdose, the news release said.

The investigation led to a suspect and sparked an operation in which undercover officers made multiple purchases of illegal drugs, according to Campbell. The sheriff’s office obtained warrants for Kenneth Ty Parent, of 173 Family Circle, Statesville, and arrested him on Friday.

He faces multiple charges, including felony death by distribution, three counts of felony trafficking of an opiate, six counts of felony possession with intent to sell and deliver a schedule I controlled substance, six counts of felony sell and deliver schedule I controlled substance.

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“Arrests from investigations like this are yet another tool we will utilize, when the evidence supports it, to go after drug dealers on our community,” Campbell said in the release. “Dealers need to be put on notice, we will target you with information we receive from the community, by conducting undercover surveillance operations, performing undercover purchases, sharing information with other law enforcement agencies, carrying out suspect round-ups, and conducting investigations like this.”

Parent is jailed on a $650,000 secured bond.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

(Watch the video below: Fentanyl: What you need to know)

Fentanyl: What you need to know (NCD)

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