FAYETTEVILLE -- A Farmington man was sentenced Thursday to 14 years in federal prison without the possibility of parole on one count of possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to court documents and public hearings, in early 2022, agents with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration were investigating the distribution of fentanyl in Northwest Arkansas. During their investigation, DEA agents identified Marchello Stephano Oliver, 34 of Farmington as a fentanyl distributor.
Between March 1, 2022, and March 25, 2022, DEA agents, using a confidential informant, made two undercover purchases of fentanyl from Oliver. On March 25, 2022, DEA agents searched Oliver's home and found, among other items, more than 700 individual doses of fentanyl, more than 100 grams of cocaine and methamphetamine and a loaded firearm.
Oliver admitted to distributing fentanyl in both powder and counterfeit pill form as well as other controlled substances. On March 30, Oliver pleaded guilty to federal charges.
At Oliver's sentencing hearing, the U.S. Attorney's Office presented the court with testimony and evidence Oliver provided powder fentanyl on Feb. 11 directly causing the overdose death of a 47-year-old woman from Rogers.
Based on the evidence linking Oliver's drug distribution to the overdose death and other aggravating factors, the court increased Oliver's sentencing range and ultimately imposed a 14-year sentence.
Prior to Oliver's sentencing, a co-conspirator, Ethan Scott Driskill, 33, was sentenced to 38 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl resulting in the death of a 29-year-old Fayetteville man.
DEA agents determined on Jan. 31, the deceased man and his girlfriend combined their money to purchase what they believed was heroin from Driskill.
During the investigation agents bought fentanyl directly from Driskill. A search of Driskill's Farmington home found about 730 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, 240 gross grams of fentanyl powder and two firearms. Driskill and his wife, Amber Nicole Adair, were arrested. Driskill admitted to selling fentanyl in both powder and counterfeit pill form.
Adair, 28, of Farmington pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting Driskill in the possession of 40 grams or more of fentanyl with the intent to distribute. She was sentenced to 96 months imprisonment and a four-year term of supervised release.
The DEA, Benton County Sheriff's Office, Washington County Sheriff's Office, Bentonville Police Department, Rogers Police Department, Benton County Drug Unit, Farmington Police Department, Fayetteville Police Department, Springdale Police Department, 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force, Arkansas State Police and the Arkansas National Guard Counter Drug Unit investigated the case.
Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearings.
Ethan Driskill