Fentanyl Overdose claims young life: Five plead guilty to charges
Fentanyl Overdose claims young life: Five plead guilty to charges
By Joseph Budd
Native Sun News Today Staff Writer
RAPID CITY – His obituary reads, “Louis, Louie” enjoyed spending time playing basketball, football, and baseball. He play in various tournaments. Louie had a smile that could light up the room and was a very respectful well-mannered young man. He also worked on cars. Louie was loved by many and will be missed dearly.”
Louis Sandoval, 16, was found dead on December 2, 2020, at his grandmother’s house in Porcupine, following an overdose of Fentanyl. Five people, would be indicted regarding the case, and would enter plea deals, regarding the charges of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. One has already been sentenced, while the other four are looking at up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million dollar fine or both, and three years of supervised release.
Prior to said please deals charged Tarriah Provost, 24, Donna Garnette, Kelly Grass, 25, Jesse Grass and Kimberly Janis, 30 with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and distribution of a controlled substance to an individual under 21.
Court documents state that Provost was the one who physically supplied Sandoval with fentanyl.
A factual basis statement, filed in the case lists Provost agreed is truce as part of the plea deal, states she purchased at least two blue fentanyl pills and that she and Sandoval “ingested one of the pills together in her car” outside of Sandoval’s grandmother’s residence in Porcupine on the evening of December 1st, 2020, the morning before he was found deceases. Toxicology tests revealed the cause of death to be fentanyl toxicity.
Provost purchased the pills from Donna Garnette at the home of Kelly Grass, and both Garnette and Grass have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled Substance. Garnette is due to be sentenced on June 22nd, while Kelly grass was sentenced on April 4th to 57 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release and a 100 dollar fine.
Jesse Grass, who agreed to a factual basis statement that claimed he purchased 50 pills containing fentanyl, does not yet have a sentencing date. Janis’s sentencing date is slated to be done on May 16th.
Documents publicly available did not explicitly explain the connection between Jesse Grass, Janis and the other individuals in the case, and several documents have been seals to the public.
Provost’s sentencing was scheduled for Monday, but was cancelled and will be sentenced later. As of this date, it has not been listed in the Court’s schedule. This rescheduling was requested by Provost’s defense attorney. Kelly Grass, Provost and Janis are being held at the Pennington County Jail, and on January 25th US District Judge Jeffery L Viken granted Garnette’s request to be released until her sentencing in June due to her being pregnant, with the child expected to be born in May.
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April 28, 2022