A Biloxi resident was sentenced to serve 36 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On Thursday, 36-year-old Dean Carlin Fender was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport for his involvement in selling illegal substances that resulted in a civilian contractor injuring several airmen at the Keesler Air Force Base.
According to court documents, a drug trafficking organization was identified as operating in the sale of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl in Harrison County in July of 2021.
Officials learned that the drug organization had provided fentanyl to 25-year-old Emmett Jason Bennett, who later caused a traffic accident at the base, killing one airman and injuring three others. Bennett was sentenced to serve 10 years and five years under post-release supervision on December 20, as well as pay $166,435 in restitution.
As a result of the investigation, Dean Fender was identified as the person who sold fentanyl to Bennett.
On September 2, 2021, 20 counterfeit Percocet tablets containing fentanyl were purchased from Fender in a controlled drug buy.
Fender was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 7, 2022. He pled guilty on November 9, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
