WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — A 28-year-old Luzerne County man has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison after selling fentanyl that triggered a near-fatal overdose, according to federal prosecutors.
Joshua Ward previously pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury. During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Malachy Mannion highlighted the aggravating circumstances of the transaction, noting that Ward sold the narcotics inside a vehicle and pressured the buyer to ingest the substance immediately on the spot to prove they were not working as a police informant.
The victim suffered a severe overdose shortly after consuming the drug, requiring emergency transport to a local hospital for life-saving treatment. Following his 10-year prison term, Ward will be subject to federal supervised release.
