A fentanyl dealer who admitted his involvement in at least three overdoses, two of them fatal, was sentenced to nearly 23 years in federal prison on Thursday.
Rhett Barclay, 23, was indicted in September 2023 and pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Leigha Simonton announced the sentencing via a press release.
“This defendant is implicated in multiple deaths, including the tragic demise of his unborn child,” said Simonton.
“Those who traffic in fentanyl should know that the poison they peddle can take the lives of anyone who ingests it – even their nearest and dearest. Once again, this case proves that even half of one pill can kill.”
In his plea papers, Barclay admitted that the fentanyl he distributed led to two fatal overdoses in less than two years.
On January 24, 2021, he provided a single fentanyl pill to two women, identified in court documents as A.R. and T.M.
The women split the pill, resulting in both overdosing.
Medics were able to resuscitate T.M., but A.R. did not survive.
Nearly two years later, on January 12, 2023, Barclay obtained approximately 40 fentanyl pills.
His girlfriend, identified as K.H. in court documents, ingested one of the pills and suffered a fatal overdose.
Prosecutors noted during the sentencing hearing that K.H. was pregnant at the time and passed away as their toddler watched.
Barclay was sentenced Thursday to 275 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman.
“Overdose deaths from fentanyl continue to have a devastating impact on communities across North Texas,” said DEA Fort Worth Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez.
“We are directing all our available resources to investigate those who distribute this deadly, illicit poison to our friends and family. Mr. Barclay, while responsible for the deaths of these individuals, also impacted countless others by his callous disregard for life. May others see this as a warning that DEA Fort Worth and our law enforcement partners across North Texas will continue to investigate drug distributors and seek significant jail sentences for their criminal activity.”