A Montgomery man was found guilty by a federal court jury Thursday of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross.

Lawrence Coley III, 37, was found guilty after a trial that revealed his involvement in supplying fentanyl to a man who was found dead in his vehicle on August 26, 2022. The victim was discovered unconscious in a truck parked outside a Montgomery residence. The vehicle’s ignition was on and the doors were locked. Upon arrival, officers found no visible signs of trauma. A medical examiner later determined the cause of death was the toxic effects of fentanyl, with the amount in the victim’s body being four to five times the lethal dose.

An investigation into how the victim obtained the fentanyl revealed that Coley had been supplying the victim with illegal narcotics for over a year. These transactions occurred almost daily and sometimes multiple times a day. The jury also heard testimony confirming that the victim had purchased narcotics from Coley on the morning of his death. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Coley’s residence and found 70 blue pills marked “M” on one side and “30” on the other.

The pills looked like pharmaceutical oxycodone tablets because of their color and markings. However, laboratory tests revealed that the pills were counterfeit and contained fentanyl instead of oxycodone. When officers arrested Coley during a traffic stop, they found him in possession of five more counterfeit fentanyl pills.

In finding Coley guilty, the jury found that the fentanyl he sold to the victim caused his death and that Coley intended to distribute the fentanyl pills in his possession.

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“Counterfeit pills containing fentanyl have become commonplace in Alabama and across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Ross. “Everyone should assume that any pill not from a doctor or pharmacy may contain a lethal dose of fentanyl or another deadly drug. My office is committed to holding individuals who sell these dangerous pills accountable.”

“The Drug Enforcement Administration’s top priority is to hold accountable those individuals and drug trafficking organizations that poison our communities with deadly drugs like fentanyl,” said Steven Hofer, DEA Special Agent in Charge. “Today’s conviction is a step forward in our mission to build teams that save lives and make communities safer. As we celebrate this victory, we must remember the tragic death caused by the callous disregard for human life that this individual demonstrated. The conviction sends a clear message: Those who put profit above people will be held accountable.”

Following this conviction, Coley faces a sentence of 20 years to life in a federal prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the coming months. At that hearing, a federal district judge will determine Coley’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Montgomery Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences and the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon W. Bates and Christopher P. Moore are prosecuting the case.