BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) — A man was sentenced to more than 24 years on Wednesday as part of a plea agreement.

According to a news release from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Nathan Hunter Whitaker, 27, of Bristol, Tennessee, agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with one count of distributing fentanyl, which resulted in the death of another person.

Whitaker was sentenced to 292 months following the guilty plea deal. The DOJ reports Whitaker’s distribution of fentanyl led to a Sullivan County overdose death in early February 2023.

During an investigation targeting drugs in East Tennessee, law enforcement learned, days after the fatal overdose, that Whitaker made “several controlled sales of fentanyl-laced, counterfeit Roxicodone 20mg pills to a confidential informant,” according to the DOJ.

On April 1, 2024, law enforcement attempted a traffic stop to serve an arrest warrant for Whitaker. He allegedly fled the vehicle and ran to a nearby home. Law enforcement reportedly entered the home and found the following:

• “Significant quantity” of fentanyl-laced
• Counterfeit Roxicodone 30mg pills
• $13,754 in cash
• More than 130 firearms, some of which were stolen, including two silencers and a short-barreled rifle

The DOJ said one firearm was reportedly stolen from the Tennessee Valley Authority Police.

Whitaker admitted that he provided fentanyl-laced, counterfeit Roxicodone 30mg
pills to the victim, causing their death, according to the DOJ.

“Arresting and prosecuting criminals like Nathan Whitaker, who prey upon and poison
their communities for profit and fund cartels and international criminal organizations, is a top
priority for our agency,” said Homeland Security Investigations Nashville Special Agent in
Charge Rana Saoud. “This sentence sends a clear message that HSI and our law enforcement
partners in Tennessee are dedicated to preventing the illicit importation, sale and distribution of
fentanyl while bringing those that perpetrate this deadly crime to justice.”

The sentencing was a result of an investigation by the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the 2nd DTF, and Johnson City Police Department (JCPD).