DAYTON – Alandre J. Gilbreath, Jr., 34, of Springfield, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 60 months in prison for possessing carfentanil with intent to distribute.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Springfield Police Chief Lee Graf and Acting Clark County Prosecutor Daniel P. Driscoll announced the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.

According to court documents, in May 2017, Springfield police officers responded to reports of an attempted residential break-in and encountered Gilbreath standing on the porch of the house. They saw Gilbreath remove a baggie from his pocket and throw it into the yard.

“Officers picked up the bag, and forensic analysis at the Bureau of Criminal Investigation determined it contained 16.28 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and carfentanil,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “This amount is a quantity intended for distribution.”

Gilbreath pleaded guilty in December 2018 to one count of possessing with the intent to distribute more than 10 grams of carfentanil.

According to the DEA, carfentanil is an analogue of fentanyl and is 10,000 times more potent than morphine. Carfentanil is used in veterinary practice to immobilize large animals.

“Powerful opioids, such as Carfentanil, will continue to be a serious threat to America and Ohio as long as drug dealers such as Gilbreath are willing to put themselves and the community at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Plancon. “Gilbreath was in possession of enough carfentanil to kill approximately 700 people. This case is a testament to the relentless determination of law enforcement to make a significant impact on the opioid supply in Ohio and to keep our communities drug free.”

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the DEA and Springfield Police Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Saunders, formerly with the Southern District of Ohio, who represented the United States in this case. 

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