Marie Lynn Vasquez (Houston County Sheriff's Office)
WARNER ROBINS, Ga. - A 44-year-old woman will spend the next 25 years in prison for her role in a fentanyl distribution operation that investigators directly linked to a deadly overdose in 2023.
Marie Lynn Vasquez was sentenced on Feb. 3 to serve 25 years behind bars after she pleaded guilty on Dec. 5, 2025, to one count of distribution of fentanyl. Her codefendant and partner, Clyde Richardson, received an identical 25-year sentence in December.
The backstory:
The investigation began on the morning of June 28, 2023, when a mother found her 36-year-old daughter unresponsive in her Houston County bedroom. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation later confirmed she died from a combination of narcotics, including heroin and methamphetamine. Most notably, her blood contained 24 micrograms of fentanyl per liter, a dose the District Attorney’s Office characterized as deadly.
By analyzing the victim’s social media and cell phone, investigators uncovered a "chilling timeline" of her final night. Messages and a Cash App receipt confirmed the victim purchased drugs from Vasquez and Richardson on June 27, 2023.
Even as the investigation into the death unfolded, authorities say the duo continued their trade.
"The fact that Ms. Vasquez and Mr. Richardson continued to sell illegal narcotics, even after learning of the death of our victim, is especially egregious," said Senior Assistant District Attorney Mike Smith.
Instead, investigators from the Warner Robins Police Department and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office built their case through multiple controlled buys. A search of the couple's Somerset Drive residence eventually turned up fentanyl packaged for sale.
Dig deeper:
The case highlights a staggering crisis in Houston County. Since 2023, local law enforcement has seized 13,000 grams of fentanyl, an amount the DEA suggests could potentially kill 6.5 million people. While overdose deaths in the county have trended downward from 50 in 2023 to 20 so far in 2025, the volume of calls remains high, with 739 overdose-related calls reported since the start of 2024.
What they're saying:
"This case began with a Houston County citizen found dead from a fentanyl overdose and ended with two dealers held fully accountable for the role they played," District Attorney Eric Z. Edwards said. "We will always continue to aggressively prosecute fentanyl dealers because lives literally depend on it."
The Source: The Houston County District Attorney provided the details for this article.