Drug Dealer Convicted in Overdose Death

A man was convicted today for dealing prescription pain pills and for an overdose death caused by his drug dealing. Prosecutors in DA Charme Allen’s Career Gang Unit obtained convictions for Sale of Schedule II Oxymorphone and Reckless Homicide committed by Michael Dewayne Carter, 51. Carter must serve ten years in prison after he serves the balance of a federal sentence for a separate case.

Assistant District Attorney Phil Morton explained to Judge Scott Green that on October 16, 2014, Knoxville Police Department officers discovered the body of a thirty-three year old male in his vehicle parked at a business on Cumberland Avenue. The evidence at the scene suggested the victim had died of a drug overdose. KPD Repeat Offender Squad Sgt. Josh Shaffer examined the victim’s phone and identified Jonathan Shown as the victim’s pill supplier. Shown was interviewed by Sgt. Shaffer, admitted he was the victim’s supplier, and disclosed that Carter was his supplier. On the day the victim overdosed, the victim contacted Shown asking for 20 mg Oxymorphone pills, then Shown contacted his supplier, Carter. The three arranged a meeting in the parking lot of the Kroger on Chapman Highway. The parties met, and Carter sold Oxymorphone pills to Shown who then turned around and sold those pills to the victim. The next day, Shown contacted Carter about purchasing more pills, and Carter admitted that he had sold 40 mg Oxymorphone the night before instead of 20 mg Oxymorphone as he originally thought. The Medical Examiner confirmed that the victim died from an opiate overdose.

“”This Office has been arguing for sometime now that opiate abuse and opiate overdoses are reaching epidemic proportions in East Tennessee,”” said Allen.””In addition to prosecuting drug dealers for actually selling drugs, we are reviewing overdose deaths in an effort to pursue homicide charges wherever possible.””

If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.