EVANSVILLE, Ind (WEHT) – An Evansville man is in custody after police say he sold fentanyl that caused at least three overdoses earlier this year.

On the night of June 24, emergency services were requested at an address in the 2300 block of Wedeking Avenue in response to a reported overdose. An affidavit says the female overdose victim was located and responders were able to successfully administer CPR before transporting her to a hospital for additional treatment. Emergency services were requested at the same address the next morning for another reported overdose. According to an affidavit, officers arrived on the scene and located the second overdose victim, a 19-year-old female, and she was pronounced dead.

During a death investigation, police say they found a crushed blue pill on the victim’s body. Police conducted a forensic extraction of the victims phone and said they discovered a conversation between the victim and Jeremial Leach, 18, on the night prior to her overdose. Police say Leach had been operating a Snapchat account to sell fentanyl pills in Evansville. During their conversation, police say the victim asked to purchase blue pills from Leach and arranged to meet at an address in the 1600 block of Shanklin Avenue.

Police were dispatched to a report of another overdose in the 1200 block of Hirschland Road on August 20. After rendering aid, police say the victim regained consciousness and was transported to a local hospital. Police say the victim and her daughter later told them they purchased pills in the 1600 block of Shanklin Avenue from Leach.

On Tuesday, police conducted a search warrant at the address in the 1600 block of Shanklin Avenue. Leach was taken into custody, and police say they located the following items inside the residence:

  • 7 grams of a green leafy substance testing positive for THC
  • 33 blue pills identified as oxycodone
  • White digital scale
  • $1,500 inside a safe in a master bedroom
  • $36 inside a baby bottle in a child’s room on a dresser
  • $295 in a glass jar in the living room
  • 5 smartphones and one tablet device
  • 2 handguns

Police say Leach said he knew why he was in custody and admitted to selling pills. The affidavit says Leach claimed to not know the pills contained fentanyl, but knew the pills were causing overdoses.

Leach was charged with dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death and dealing cocaine or narcotic drugs. He is being held in the Vanderburgh County Detention Center.