Evansville man and woman indicted by feds after fentanyl death of toddler

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - On Friday, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment after a death of a toddler back in Oct. 2021.

According to court documents, Arcinial Watt and Jazmyn Brown are being charged with federal crimes including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.

Court documents show during the conspiracy, Watt obtained significant amounts of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills from an unknown source of supply and stored those pills inside a bedroom he shared with Brown at her home.

[Previous Story: Authorities plead for community to do better after child’s death]

Officials say Watt further supplied Brown with fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills that Brown would sell to her own customers.

According to a press release, on October 26, 2021, two children living at the home, a three-year-old girl and a one-year-old girl, got a hold of the pills stored by Brown in her bedroom. The three-year-old girl was pronounced dead the following morning, and the one-year-old girl was taken to the hospital.

Officials say the one-year-old girl survived.

U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Myers says cases like this are being heavily pursued by prosecutors in Indiana.

“These are our family, our friends, our classmates, our children,” Myers said. “They are dying at a horrific rate that is unlike anything we have seen before in law enforcement.”

During the investigation, authorities say they seized over 5,000 fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills, over $30,000 and a gun.

According to a press release, if Watt and Brown are convicted of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death or serious bodily injury, they face 20 years to life in prison, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and at least 5 years supervised release. If convicted of possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, Watt faces 10 years to life in prison, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and at least five years supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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