Green Bay Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Dealing Fentanyl Resulting in Death of 17-year old

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on July 18, 2024, Senior U.S. District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Roosevelt T. Taylor (age: 36) to 20 years in prison after he pled guilty to Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in Death, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841.

According to court records, for at least several weeks in 2023, Taylor repeatedly distributed counterfeit Percocet® “M30” pills containing fentanyl in the Green Bay area. Taylor described himself as a “middler” who connected customers to a larger drug distributor. In that role, Taylor became responsible for putting hundreds of fake Percocet® pills into circulation, not knowing who would ultimately ingest the potentially lethal dose of fentanyl found in about 70% of such pills. During one fentanyl-trafficking offense, Taylor supplied “M30” pills to a 17-year-old female who used them and died of fentanyl toxicity. At the time, Taylor had a lengthy criminal history, including prior jail and prison sentences, and was on supervision in three separate felony cases for robbery, burglary, and delivery of heroin.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach emphasized that trafficking fentanyl is distributing “poison.” The judge considered nationwide data that 7 in 10 counterfeit pills tested at DEA Crime Labs contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, that fentanyl is the leading cause of death for 18- to 45-year-olds, and that synthetic opiates like fentanyl cause over 73,000 deaths annually in the U.S.—equal to 200 deaths per day.

According to the DEA, illicit fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl—the amount that fits on the tip of a pencil—is considered a potentially deadly dose. The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco Cartel in Mexico, using chemicals largely sourced from China, are primarily responsible for most of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in communities across the United States.

This case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Funnell.

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For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer

Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

414-297-1700

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