Uintah County Man Sentenced to Over 12 Years’ Imprisonment After Supplying Fentanyl that Resulted in Death

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - A Uintah County man was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison after distributing fentanyl that caused the death of another individual.

The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson Jr., comes after Jerod Arthur Young, 50, of Fort Duchesne, Utah, pleaded guilty on March 26, 2026, to distribution of fentanyl. In addition to his term of imprisonment, he was ordered to serve three years of supervised release

According to court documents and statements made at Young's change of plea and sentencing hearings, on November 15, 2023, in Fort Duchesne, Young intentionally sold fentanyl to a victim for profit, which resulted in her death. During the investigation, law enforcement determined from the victim's phone that she communicated with Young and engaged in a financial transaction with him around the time of her death. The pill near her body when she was found deceased tested positive for fentanyl, and a medical examiner determined that the cause of the victim's death was fentanyl toxicity. As stated in court documents, Young voluntarily called law enforcement while in treatment and stated he believed he was the person that sold the victim the pills that killed her.

Young has a criminal history of drug trafficking convictions (1997, 2015, 2023), the latter of which was pending, and he was on pretrial release when he sold deadly fentanyl to the victim.

"No measure of justice can erase the loss of a life," said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah. "However, we hope Young's lengthy prison sentence sends a strong message to those who push dangerous drugs into our communities, and that it offers the victim's family a starting point for healing after such a tragic loss."

"Behind every fentanyl death is a loved one whose life is forever changed," said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. "We will not lose sight of the human cost of this epidemic and will work with our partners to bring those who traffic this poison into our communities to justice."

The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office's Vernal Resident Agency.

Assistant United States Attorney Sam Pead of The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.