Jamiesfeast – Tyler Dean, a 49-year-old man from New York, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., for his role in distributing fentanyl through the United States Postal Service (USPS). After serving his prison sentence, Dean will be under supervised release for three years, as determined in U.S. District Court in Portland.
According to court documents, it was revealed that in June 2020, Dean sent an envelope containing fentanyl from the Schenectady, New York area to an address in Rockland, Maine. He used a different name for the shipment, which was sent through USPS Priority Mail Express. Evidence from text and Facebook messages showed that Dean was aware of sending a controlled substance, although he was unsure of its specific nature. Laboratory analysis later confirmed that the package indeed contained fentanyl. Tragically, the married couple who received the package both suffered accidental overdoses and passed away on the same day it was delivered.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Rockland Police Department, and the Maine Attorney General’s Office conducted a thorough investigation into this case. It sheds light on the continuous opioid crisis and the deadly dangers of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid. According to the Maine Monthly Overdose Report for December 2023, fentanyl was involved in 78% of overdose deaths in Maine that year, either alone or in combination with other substances.
Maine authorities are placing a strong emphasis on tackling the opioid epidemic by highlighting the significance of accessing resources for substance use disorder treatment and emergency interventions, specifically naloxone (Narcan). To learn more about substance use disorder support and how to access naloxone in Maine, individuals are encouraged to visit https://knowyouroptions.me.