Lexington, SC – A Lexington County man is facing a homicide charge after deputies said he sold fentanyl that caused a woman’s fatal overdose earlier this summer.
According to Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon, narcotics agents charged Bradford Wayne Jovanelly, 46, of West Columbia, with fentanyl-induced homicide. Investigators said Jovanelly knowingly sold fentanyl to two people in July, and one of them died just days later from an overdose. The case was initially investigated by the Lexington Police Department.
Sheriff Koon said detectives traced the overdose to drugs purchased from a man the victims knew as “Brad.” A search warrant for the victim’s phone allegedly confirmed the connection to Jovanelly.
Jovanelly was previously arrested Aug. 1 on drug possession charges and has remained in the Lexington County Detention Center since then. The fentanyl-induced homicide charge was added on Sept. 22. A magistrate judge has denied him bond, according to authorities.
This marks another fentanyl-related death in South Carolina, where law enforcement agencies continue to warn about the dangers of the potent opioid.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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