IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — A 25-year-old Statesville man has been arrested in connection to the Fentanyl death of another man, according to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.
A death investigation sparked after deputies responded to a Miller Farm Road location on Jan. 13 to find a victim dead in the bathroom. Drug paraphernalia was present in the home leading deputies to believe the death was possibly related to narcotics use.
Through interviews with people the victim was close to, authorities discovered that he had overdosed on Fentanyl just days before his death, and had been transported to a medical facility for treatment.
The Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that the cause of death for the victim was due to an overdose of Fentanyl.
Following search warrant information, detectives identified Kenneth Parent as the person who sold the illegal narcotics which caused the victim’s death.
Undercover investigators were then able to make multiple undercover purchases of illegal drugs directly from Parent. With the evidence gathered through the investigation, felony arrest warrants were obtained against Parent which led to his arrest Friday, according to deputies.
Deputies say Parent was taken to the Iredell County Detention Center where he was served with warrants for felony death by distribution, three counts of felony trafficking of an opiate, six counts of felony possession with intent to sell and deliver a schedule I controlled substance, six counts of felony sell and deliver schedule an I controlled substance.
“Arrests from investigations like this are yet another tool we will utilize, when the evidence supports it, to go after drug dealers on our community. Dealers need to be put on notice, we will target you with information we receive from the community, by conducting undercover surveillance operations, performing undercover purchases, sharing information with other law enforcement agencies, carrying out suspect round-ups, and conducting investigations like this,” Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said.
