EVANSVILLE — Prosecutors have charged an Evansville man in connection with the overdose death of Zeke Biggs, who police say suffered a fatal fentanyl overdose in March.
Police arrested 20-year-old Richard Barnes III Thursday, and prosecutors charged him with dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death, a Level 1 felony. Barnes is being held at the Vanderburgh County jail on a $50,000 bond.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office, deputies were sent to the 1800 block of Evanston Drive in Evansville on March 5 after getting a request for medical assistance. There, deputies found Biggs deceased from what appeared to be a possible overdose.
An autopsy performed by the Vanderburgh County Coroner's Office would later confirm Biggs, 24, died due to fentanyl intoxication.
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The affidavit says detectives examined Biggs' cellphone records on March 11, and found evidence Barnes supplied Biggs with the lethal dose of fentanyl. According to detectives, Barnes communicated with Biggs just prior to the time of the suspected drug transaction.
"Special Agent Brandt advised these communications were consistent with (a) circumstance wherein Biggs was utilizing Barnes as a source of fentanyl supply," the affidavit says.
Fentanyl behind increase in overdose deaths
Barnes' arrest follows several other fentanyl-related arrests in the Evansville area, including a recent federal case that saw two men indicted for allegedly manufacturing thousands of counterfeit prescription pills that contained fentanyl.
Ethan Parker, 29, and Joshua Harvey, 30, were charged by federal prosecutors with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of a tableting machine and possession of a tableting machine, in July. If convicted on the federal charges, both Harvey and Parker could be sentenced to 10 years to life in prison.
More:Evansville men were making counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl
Charging fentanyl dealers for causing specific overdose deaths is also becoming more common in Indiana as law enforcement continues to grapple with the state's deadly opioid epidemic.
Following the overdose death of 29-year-old Evansville resident Zachary Goodin in April 2021, Vanderburgh County prosecutors charged 26-year-old Todd Gardner with dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death for allegedly selling Goodin the pill that killed him.
In February, prosecutors also charged 25-year-old Raven Young − who reportedly sold Gardner the pill he later gave to Goodin − with dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death.
Prosecutors dismissed the case against Gardner without prejudice in April, but the state could refile charges at a later date. Young is set to face a jury trial in September, according to court records.
Between 2020 and 2021, overdose deaths in Indiana surged more than 23%, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.
More:Evansville-area police, prosecutors going after a new target in fentanyl-related deaths
Law enforcement officials say supplies of fentanyl have increased throughout the United States because it is cheaper to produce and easier to transport than drugs like heroin, which are plant based. Court records show that shipments of fentanyl have entered the Evansville area through the mail and through suppliers in cities such as Louisville, Kentucky.
Michael Gannon, assistant special agent in charge at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency in Indianapolis, said fentanyl is now the primary driver behind increased overdose deaths in Indiana.
"When you look at the statistics, over 107,000 people in 2021 died of a drug overdose. 71,000 of them are fentanyl related," Gannon said. "If you look at Indianapolis, the biggest city in the state, there was 826 overdoses in 2021. Of that number, 641 of them were fentanyl related."
Gannon has repeatedly warned Evansville residents to not consume pills they don't personally obtain from a licensed pharmacy due to the amount of counterfeit prescription pills recovered within the city.
"Somebody [makes] a mistake and takes a pill, and it could cost them their life," Gannon said. "So it's very important for the community to come together... so people do not end up being a casualty because of fentanyl."