Arnold man pleads guilty to fentanyl distribution, overdose death, faces lengthy federal sentence

An Arnold man pleaded guilty in federal court this week to distributing the fentanyl that caused the death of a Westmoreland County man, according to court filings.

Jarrel Williams, 32, accepted responsibility during a Tuesday plea hearing for the Jan. 17, 2017, death of a 33-year-old man who federal prosecutors did not identify by name.

A plea agreement calls for Williams to serve 13 1/2 years in a federal prison, authorities said.

He will be sentenced June 3.

Investigators did not say where the drug overdose death occurred or identify the person who died. They noted that the investigation was conducted by state police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Westmoreland County detectives and West Leechburg and Allegheny Township police.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid more powerful than heroin, has contributed to an explosion of drug overdose deaths in the region for several years.

Drug overdose deaths in Westmoreland County involving fentanyl increased by 364% from 2015 to 2016, according to a coroner’s report. The drug contributed to 367 deaths in Westmoreland from Jan. 1, 2016, to July 1, 2019. Preliminary figures for 2019 show fentanyl contributed to 72 deaths.

Fentanyl has been the top contributor to drug overdose deaths in Allegheny County since 2016, according to medical examiner statistics. From 2016 to 2018, fentanyl contributed to 1,287 deaths there. Preliminary figures for 2019 show fentanyl contributed to 248 drug overdose deaths in Allegheny County.