Fentanyl Supplier Convicted at Trial for Causing an Overdose Death

MOBILE, AL – A federal jury convicted a Mobile man for conspiracy and distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, William Grant Owens, a/k/a “Whip,” a/k/a “Unc,” 55, distributed and conspired with others to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin beginning in January of 2016. The jury further found that Owens’s Owens’ participation in the conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute caused the overdose death of Kelsey Johnston. Owens was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, and seven counts of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.

The evidence presented at trial showed that the Crossley Hills drug trafficking organization, of which Owens was a member, operated in Mobile County, and elsewhere, distributing various controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, Xanax, oxycodone, and oxymorphone to customers in south Alabama and elsewhere. Relying on regional and local sources of supply to acquire controlled substances for its distribution, the Crossley Hills DTO distributed a substantial amount of the heroin in Mobile County, Alabama. These heroin sales led to numerous overdoses resulting in hospitalizations and deaths, including that of Kelsey Johnston on October 11, 2018.

Thirty-eight co-conspirators have pleaded guilty. Owens was convicted after a five-day trial. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30 and faces a minimum sentence of twenty years and up to life in prison. United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Sean P. Costello, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, Mobile Police Chief Paul O. Prine, Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran, DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley, HSI Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, ATF Special Agent in Charge Mickey French, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul W. Brown made the announcement.
   
The investigation and prosecution of this case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mobile Police Department and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.  The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force, and the Saraland Police Department also provided key investigative support to the investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luis F. Peral, Lead OCDETF Attorney, and Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.