CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A Cherokee County man will spend eight years in prison and more than three decades on probation after pleading guilty in the death of a 20-year-old woman the district attorney says he gave fentanyl to, telling her it was Percocet.
In a release, the DA's Office said 23-year-old Michael Waters pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and distribution of controlled substances in the May 2021 overdose death of 20-year-old Talley Power.
The DA's Office said Waters gave Power and another 19-year-old woman pills crushed into powder, telling them it was Percocet. It was actually fentanyl, according to authorities, and Power was found unresponsive the next morning.
A GBI investigation "determined that the cause of death was the toxic effects of fentanyl and tramadol," with toxicology screens finding 14 micrograms of fentanyl in Power's system.
"More often than not, drugs distributed on the street are non-pharmaceutical grade and therefore may contain substances other than that in which the user intended for introduction into the body, including fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine," the DA's Office said in a release.
District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway said it was "especially reckless to share homemade pressed pills that could contain fentanyl."
"This defendant made a choice to give Talley Power drugs containing fentanyl. That decision cost her life,” Treadaway said. “We commend the Sheriff’s Office for conducting a thorough investigation into all aspects of this case, which ultimately led to the defendant being held accountable for his actions.”
The DA's Office had argued for a 30-year sentence, with 15 years to be served in prison. Waters was instead given a 40-year sentence, with eight years to serve in prison.
He is also ordered to avoid alcohol and drug use, get treatment for mental health and substance abuse and have no contact with Talley Power's family.
Waters was also involved in giving drugs to Talley's sister Baylee Power, who died of an overdose less than a year prior in September 2020. He was not criminally charged in that case, with her death being ruled accidental.
"During the plea hearing, members of the victim’s family stood before the court and described the pain of losing both Talley and her sister to drug overdoses," the DA's Office said.
“While the defendant may not have intended to kill Talley Power by giving her narcotics on the night of May 23, 2021, he knew that his actions were dangerous, and he knew all too well that fentanyl kills,” said Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Robert Morton. “Over the course of eight months, this man was directly involved in the death of two sisters. Through his actions, he destroyed a family, leaving unbearable grief in its place.”
The DA's Office offers this additional note on the dangers of fentanyl:
In 2020 and 2021, CDC data analysis showed that fentanyl overdose was the single leading cause of death among 18-45 year olds in the United States, according to Families Against Fentanyl.
Drug dealers add fentanyl to street drugs to increase potency and profits. Lacing other drugs with fentanyl enables drug dealers to stretch out their products since fentanyl makes drugs more powerful. Fentanyl is often added to drugs like heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana. It can also be made into pills to resemble prescription medications like Xanax and oxycodone. Drug dealers may mix deadly amounts of fentanyl into other drugs, then sell it to unsuspecting users, creating a high likelihood of overdose.
Signs of an overdose include small pupils, loss of consciousness, weak breathing, limp body, clammy skin, and bluish-colored skin. If you think someone is overdosing, call 911 immediately and administer naloxone if available.
