Buckeye Reporter

Jarad Paster, a 32-year-old resident of Berea, Ohio, has been sentenced to 14.5 years in prison for distributing fentanyl-laced drugs that resulted in the deaths of three individuals. U.S. District Court Judge Patricia A. Gaughan delivered the sentence on July 8, following Paster's guilty plea to charges related to drug distribution causing fatalities. In addition to his prison term, Paster will serve three years of supervised release.

Paster faced charges from a superseding indictment in June 2024 for conspiracy and distribution of controlled substances leading to death, with enhanced penalties due to the fatalities involved. He admitted guilt in December 2024.

Court documents revealed that between April 1-15, 2023, Paster and co-conspirator Matthew Jarrell conspired to sell illegal drugs including cocaine and fentanyl, both Schedule II controlled substances, as well as para-fluorofentanyl, a Schedule I substance. On April 15, 2023, three people overdosed on cocaine and fentanyl obtained from Paster and Jarrell.

Jarrell received a ten-year prison sentence on January 30, 2025, after pleading guilty in July 2024 to similar charges involving drug distribution resulting in death.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Cleveland District Office alongside the FBI Cleveland Task Force and the Cleveland Division of Police with support from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Crook prosecuted the case. The DEA emphasizes the lethal nature of fentanyl even in small doses and promotes awareness through its “One Pill Can Kill” campaign available at dea.gov/onepill.