Johnson County man pleads guilty to drug distribution linked to child’s fentanyl overdose
A Shawnee man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to the distribution of drugs resulting in the death of a toddler in Merriam in November 2020, Johnson County prosecutors said on Thursday morning.
Jean Pierre Morales, 28, entered the plea to drug distribution nearly one year after prosecutors initially brought charges of felony murder against him. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8.
Prosecutors say Morales was distributing drugs when a 2-year old, identified by initials in court documents, ingested fentanyl resulting in death. The child was found unresponsive on Nov. 14, 2020, when police were called to a residence.
The case was investigated by Merriam police with assistance from the Johnson County Crime Lab, prosecutors said.
This story was originally published November 3, 2022 at 5:51 PM.
