A man from St. Louis County, Missouri, was arrested Wednesday on an indictment that accuses him of selling the fentanyl that killed someone in St. Louis in May.
Jesse Charleston, 33, of Florissant, was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on November 15 with three felonies: distribution of fentanyl with death resulting, distribution of fentanyl, and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. He pleaded not guilty Wednesday.
The indictment accuses Charleston of selling fentanyl on March 21 which proved fatal to the buyer. It also says Charleston sold fentanyl on March 27 in St. Charles County and possessed it that same day in St. Louis.
In court Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerome McDonald said the victim who bought fentanyl from Charleston brought it home and fatally overdosed, along with his twin brother.
The distribution of fentanyl with death resulting charge carries a penalty of at least 20 years in prison, with a maximum term of life. The fentanyl distribution and possession with intent to distribute charges each carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Charges outlined in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Drug Enforcement Agency, the St. Charles County Police, and the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerome McDonald is prosecuting the case.
