Idaho man sentenced for selling fentanyl to person who immediately died after taking it

The following is a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office (Idaho).

COEUR D’ALENE – Darek Williams, 33, of Post Falls, has been sentenced for his role in the death of Matthew Douglas Parker, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced.

On Dec. 20, U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford sentenced Williams to 154 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. After completing his prison term, Williams will be placed on supervised release for an additional three years.

According to court records, Williams was a fentanyl distributor in the Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene area. In August 2022, Williams distributed fentanyl to Matthew Douglas Parker in a parking lot of a local business in Post Falls. Immediately after Mr. Parker purchased the pills, he entered a nearby restroom, consumed one pill and lost consciousness.

Shortly thereafter, Mr. Parker was found unresponsive and emergency personnel rushed to the scene. Unfortunately, Mr. Parker was declared dead. Law enforcement immediately launched an investigation into who may have provided Parker the drugs. Williams was quickly identified as the dealer. When confronted, Williams eventually admitted that he had been selling fentanyl pills and provided the pill to Mr. Parker that ultimately killed him.

“Fentanyl has become a national crisis and my Office, along with our local, state, and federal partners, are committed to doing all we can to hold dealers responsible for distributing fentanyl in Idaho,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “It is also essential to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl so that we can prevent lives from being lost.”

In 2022, there were approximately 107,081 overdose deaths in the United States. More than two-thirds of those deaths (70,000+) involved synthetic opioids, principally illicitly manufactured fentanyl. For more information regarding this concerning trend please visit: dea.gov/onepill.

U.S. Attorney Hurwit thanked the collaborative efforts of the Post Falls Police Department and the North Idaho Narcotics Enforcement Task Force which is comprised of the Idaho State Police, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, which led to the charges.