A Montgomery man has been sentenced to federal prison for selling fentanyl to a man who died after using the drug the same day.

Lawrence Coley III, 37, was convicted in August on charges of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute the illegal drug,

Court documents did not identify the victim.

Coley on Thursday was sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to a joint announcement by Middle District of Alabama Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson and DEA New Orleans Division Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer

On Aug. 26, 2022, Montgomery police responded to a report of an unresponsive person inside a vehicle at a Montgomery home. When they arrived, they found a truck in the driveway with the ignition still on and the doors locked.

A man was dead inside the truck.

A medical examiner concluded that the victim died due to the toxic effects of fentanyl.

During trial, the jury heard expert testimony stating that the quantity of fentanyl found in the victim’s blood was four to five times the lethal dose.

An investigation into how the victim obtained the fentanyl revealed that, for over a year, Coley had been supplying the victim with illegal narcotics.

The transactions occurred almost daily and sometimes even multiple times a day.

The jury also heard testimony verifying that the victim purchased narcotics from Coley on the very morning of his death.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for Coley’s residence and found 70 blue pills with “M” marked on one side, and “30″ on the opposite side.

The pills’ color and markings made them look like pharmaceutical oxycodone tablets.

However, lab tests determined the pills were counterfeit and contained fentanyl instead of oxycodone.

When officers arrested Coley during a traffic stop, they found him in possession of five additional counterfeit fentanyl pills.

In finding Coley guilty, the jury determined that the fentanyl sold by Coley to the victim caused his death and that Coley intended to distribute the fentanyl pills in his possession.

“This case illustrates the tragic consequences that drug trafficking can have on our communities,” Davidson said. “Coley’s complete disregard for the lives of others by continuing to sell his illegal drugs after causing a man’s death is disturbing.

“The harsh reality is that any pill not obtained from a pharmacy or doctor’s office could contain a lethal dose of fentanyl or other deadly drug,’’ he said. “This sentence should serve as a warning to drug dealers – if you sell a pill and it contains fentanyl, you run the risk of spending decades in federal prison with no possibility of parole.”

The DEA and the Montgomery Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences and the Alabama Attorney General’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon W. Bates and Christopher P. Moore prosecuted the case.