Fentanyl-laced Percocet leads to man's life sentence in prison

Two life sentences for fentanyl laced drugs

In Upson County, a known drug dealer has been sentenced to two life terms in prison for selling the fentanyl that killed an 18-year-old girl.

THOMASTON, Ga. - An Upson County man has been sentenced to two life terms in prison for selling the fentanyl-laced pills that led to the death of an 18-year-old woman.

‘Frog’ and fentanyl-laced pills

What we know:

Roderick D’Anglo Stargell, known as "Frog," was convicted by a jury of possession and distribution of fentanyl and using a communication device in a drug transaction. 

A judge sentenced him to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors said Stargell, who lived in Griffin, was a known drug dealer in several south metro Atlanta communities.

Investigators said he sold fentanyl-laced Percocet to a 16-year-old girl in Upson County. She later gave one of the pills to 18-year-old Amelia Jennings, also of Upson County. Jennings took the pill, fell asleep, and quickly began having trouble breathing. She died the next day. An autopsy at the state crime lab determined her cause of death was a fentanyl overdose. The pills were traced back to Stargell.

Prosecutors also presented testimony from another of Stargell’s customers, who said she had a near-death experience after taking what she believed was Percocet bought from him.

‘Percocet is becoming an absolute epidemic’

What they're saying:

Chief Assistant District Attorney David Studdard said fentanyl-laced pills have become a deadly crisis. "You can't have a soft approach to this stuff. I mean, it's this fentanyl-laced Percocet is becoming an absolute epidemic. You hear about it every day. Fentanyl is just an absolute danger to the community. And when we identify people that are poisoning, particularly these young folks, who don't know any difference, when we identified those folks, we're coming after them. We're going to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law."