Post Falls man sentenced to over 12 years for fentanyl death
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COEUR D’ALENE — Darek Williams, 33, of Post Falls, was sentenced for his role in the death of Matthew Douglas Parker, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
On Dec. 20, U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford sentenced Williams to 154 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. After completing his prison term, Williams will be placed on supervised release for an additional three years.
According to court records, Williams was a fentanyl distributor in the Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene area. In August 2022, Williams distributed fentanyl to Matthew Douglas Parker in a parking lot of a local business in Post Falls. Immediately after Parker purchased the pills, he entered a nearby restroom, consumed one pill and lost consciousness. Shortly after, he was found unresponsive and emergency personnel rushed to the scene.
Parker was declared dead at the scene. Law enforcement immediately launched an investigation into who may have provided him the drugs. Williams was quickly identified as the dealer. When confronted, Williams eventually admitted he had been selling fentanyl pills and provided the pill to Parker that ultimately killed him.
“Fentanyl has become a national crisis and my office, along with our local, state and federal partners, are committed to doing all we can to hold dealers responsible for distributing fentanyl in Idaho,” said Hurwit. “It is also essential to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl so that we can prevent lives from being lost.”
In 2022, there were approximately 107,081 overdose deaths in the United States. More than two-thirds of those deaths (70,000+) involved synthetic opioids, principally illicitly manufactured fentanyl. For more information regarding this concerning trend, click here.
Hurwit thanked the collaborative efforts of the Post Falls Police Department and the North Idaho Narcotics Enforcement Task Force which is comprised of the Idaho State Police, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, the U.S. Border Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration, which led to the charges.