A St. Louis man has been sentenced to more than 13 years in federal prison after being found responsible for supplying fentanyl that led to a fatal overdose of another detainee in 2024.
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp sentenced Alantae Garner, 31, on Wednesday to 157 months in prison. Garner had previously pleaded guilty in June to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on November 17, 2023, officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department saw Garner in the driver’s seat of a stolen 2019 Kia Rio. When approached by police, Garner left the vehicle and ran before being detained. Officers found a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun in his bag. Garner admitted ownership of both the gun and the car, stating he bought the vehicle for $500.
Garner was arrested on federal charges on July 25, 2024. During his sentencing hearing, evidence showed that while awaiting his first court appearance, he supplied fentanyl to another detainee who later overdosed in a holding cell. Deputy U.S. Marshals attempted life-saving measures but the victim died at a hospital.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke.
“This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone,” according to information provided by authorities. “On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.”
