Smithfield man faces potential life sentence for distributing fentanyl in fatal overdose

A Smithfield man is facing up to life in prison for his involvement in the overdose death of a 20-year-old.

Shamel Nesbitt, 32, was convicted in federal court Wednesday for distributing fentanyl that led to the death of the user, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Michael Easley, who represents the Eastern District of North Carolina.

In November 2017, Lucas Urbina and his friend were rushed to the hospital for a suspected overdose, according to the release. Both were resuscitated. Although the friend recovered, Urbina did not regain consciousness and died in the hospital three days later. He lived in Smithfield, according to his obituary.

A toxicology report showed a lethal level of cyclopropyl fentanyl in his blood, along with low levels of morphine and clonazepam. Authorities ruled his death as an accidental overdose, the news release said.

Law enforcement spoke to the surviving friend and began searching for the distributor of the substances, authorities said. Investigators said they were able to connect Urbina to Nesbitt through phone and social media correspondence, the release said.

Nesbitt told law enforcement that while he saw Urbina on Nov. 19, 2017, he didn’t sell him narcotics.

Opioid overdose deaths have been rising rapidly since 1999. The National Institute of Drug Abuse reports nearly 69,000 people in the U.S. died from opioid overdoses in 2020.

In response, laws similar to the federal charges Nesbitt is convicted of have passed in multiple states, including North Carolina. In 2019, Gov. Roy Cooper signed a law that allows for the prosecution of individuals who sell drugs to buyers who later overdose as a result of using the substances.

“The drug dealers and criminal networks lacing fentanyl into their supply are on notice. We will bring charges and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. When your criminal activity leads to death, you can face up to life in prison,” Easley said in a statement.

Nesbitt’s sentencing is scheduled for November. Nesbitt faces a minimum of 20 years in prison and could receive a life sentence.

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