A Warsaw man will serve 20 years in prison for dealing fentanyl to a woman who overdosed and died.
Naquan Rasheed Williams, 22, of 510 E. Center St., apt. 2, Warsaw, was charged with dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death, a level 1 felony; and possession of a narcotic drug, a level 6 felony. Five additional criminal charges were all dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
Williams was sentenced in Kosciusko Circuit Court on Monday.
For dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death, Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Michael Reed sentenced Williams to 24 years in the Indiana Department of Correction, with 20 years executed and four years suspended on probation. Williams also received a one-year DOC sentence for narcotic drug possession, with that sentence entirely suspended on probation. Both sentences will be served back-to-back.
In total, Williams received a 25-year sentence, with 20 years executed and five years suspended on probation.
At sentencing, Prosecutor Brad Voelz said law enforcement investigates every fatal overdose to the highest extent by "performing autopsies, analyzing phone records and hiring experts." Autopsy records showed the woman died from fentanyl poisoning.
"When that investigation leads us to the dealer, we will prosecute and hold that dealer to account for that death," said Voelz. "Our community is still experiencing far too many overdose deaths, and fentanyl is particularly poisonous. The equivalent of only a few grains of salt is enough to kill a person."
Defense attorney Austin Rovenstine noted Williams' criminal history and said he had represented Williams in prior cases since he was 14 years old.
"He's been shot at, he was shot," said Rovenstine. "Naquan's life was spiraling out of control and now we have this case which has resulted in the death of a friend. It's hard for me not to think of him as the 14-year-old I once knew. When you fail to take care of yourself, it results in harm to other people. The victim's family now has to live with unspeakable pain."
Several of the victim's and Williams' family members attended the sentencing.
Williams apologized in court for what happened and said he has nightmares about the incident. He asked for help in working on his sobriety.
On Feb. 2, 2023, Warsaw Police officers responded to a report of a 29-year-old woman who was facedown and not breathing at a residence. Upon officers' arrival at the scene, the woman was dead. Williams was at the residence at the time.
According to court documents, in plain view in the residence, officers saw a round, blue pill. While searching Williams' person, officers found numerous colored pills with labels. Many of the blue pills Williams possessed were counterfeit and contained 5.2 grams of fentanyl.
In a conversation with an Indiana State Police trooper, Williams said there was a large quantity of blue pills hidden somewhere in the residence, but he was unsure where.
Officers obtained a search warrant for the home and found four blue counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.
Prior to the woman's death, Williams said he used her cell phone to tell a relative they were on their way to South Bend to purchase fentanyl. He said he rode with the woman to South Bend to his relative's home, where he introduced the woman and they purchased blue fentanyl pills. Williams said he arranged the drug deal.
Sometime in February 2023, the NET 43 Drug Task Force conducted a controlled purchase of 1.1 grams of fentanyl, a narcotic drug, from Williams.