HOUSTON – A 24-year-old Katy man has been charged with a felony after he reportedly provided a deadly dose of Fentanyl to a teenager last year.
Court records show that Omarion Bailey was arrested on Jan. 17, and charged with Fentanyl Murder by Delivery.
SEE ALSO: Gov. Greg Abbott signs law allowing murder charge for some fentanyl deaths
Bailey is an alleged drug dealer that prosecutors say sold fentanyl to a 16-year-old boy in a West Houston neighborhood last September. Prosecutors say the teen took the pills and died of a fentanyl overdose.
“It’s incredibly dangerous, it’s heartbreaking it’s ruining.. you know every family that has to go through this it’s just horrible to lose a child to lose a loved one,” said Moore.
Garrett Moore is the Chief of Narcotics for the Harris County DA’s Office. He told KPRC 2 Investigates on Friday that it’s horrible the lengths some go to obtain drugs.
In the case involving Bailey, the teen didn’t buy the fentanyl pills, instead, he traded his gaming device for them.
“That’s my understanding based on what the officers have presented to us, yes, is that the decedent had some cash and also a PlayStation and traded for the narcotics,” said Moore.
SEE ALSO: Teen overdose deaths are rapidly rising: List of resources to help combat fentanyl
Bailey has an extensive criminal history dating back to 2016. Some of his previous charges include Assault with Bodily Injury, Assault on a Family Member, Terroristic Threat, Driving While Intoxicated, Retaliation, and Stalking.
The deal for the deadly drugs went down on a suburban street similar to so many others in our area. There is an elementary school located seconds away.
Investigators say Bailey home-delivered the drugs and he used the same tool that they are seeing other dealers rely on more frequently.
“Social media and the access to all kinds of people and all kinds of markets is a huge deal. It lets people get access to pills that otherwise they wouldn’t,” said Moore.
KPRC 2 Investigates also has learned that Bailey, who already has another narcotics case pending according to Moore, was picked by a fentanyl task force made up of local, state, and federal law enforcement.
This case is one of the first-ever prosecutions in the Houston area for a murder related to a Fentanyl overdose death since a new law was passed in Texas last September.
Bailey is currently in custody and was expected in court Friday morning.
Families of those killed by fentanyl gather at DEA as US undergoes deadliest overdose crisis
