JOHNSTOWN — A Gloversville man who entered a guilty plea to selling carfentanil — a new deadlier more addictive drug — was sentenced last week in Fulton County Court to 3 1/2 years in state prison.
Justin M. Brooker, 25, of 43 Third St., was sentenced by County Court Judge Polly A. Hoye on Dec. 11 as part of a plea arrangement. In addition to prison time, he received one year post-release supervision, and a six-month driver’s license suspension.
Brooker’s sentence was based on his Oct. 9 guilty plea to one count of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance.
He was arrested June 28, and indicted by a county grand jury on four felonies: two counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and two felony counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Charges stemmed from an investigation by the Gloversville Police Department and members of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Drug Task Force into the unlawful sales of the pain reliever oxycodone, and carfentanil by Brooker, a news release indicated.
The indictment says that at about 1:06 p.m. March 27, Brooker sold carfentanil to a confidential informant for $350 cash. The indictment also alleges Brooker possessed and sold oxycodone to a confidential informant for $350 cash on April 12.
County District Attorney Chad Brown said in July that carfentanil was a newer drug that is very addictive and is a “variation” of the already-dangerous fentanyl. He called it an “extremely deadly and dangerous drug.” Fentanyl is an opioid used as a pain medication and together with other medications for anesthesia.
Brown said just a small gram of carfentanil — the size of a crystal of salt — can kill a person.
“Carfentanil is by far the deadliest opioid being trafficked illicitly on the street,” he stated last summer. “DEA is not only arresting those who are distributing carfentanil, but we are also trying to educate the public on this new deadly threat. I applaud our law enforcement teams who are working on the front lines to stop the proliferation of opioid abuse and opioid-related deaths.”
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at [email protected].
