Arkansas man held on $3M in fentanyl death of Memphis woman

Melissa Moon
·1 min read
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Jonesboro man has been charged with aggravated death by delivery in the fentanyl overdose of a Memphis woman.

85 pounds of fentanyl found in I-40 traffic stop bust

Randy Joe Coaker, 38, was booked in the Craighead County Jail over the weekend on the new Arkansas charge and is being held on a $3 million bond.

Jonesboro Police Department Public Information Specialist Sally Smith said Coaker is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday for a probable cause hearing.

Smith said this is still an active investigation, and right now, they are not releasing the name of the victim or details about her death.

“Basically, there was an overdose associated with him as far as the delivery of drugs,” said Smith. “It’s still an active case just simply because we are trying to see if we have any other cases that may tie to this.”

Last year, the Arkansas Fentanyl Enforcement and Accountability Act was signed into law.

It makes trafficking of fentanyl an unclassified felony that carries a penalty of 25 to 60 years or life imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000.

According to state lawmakers, in 2022, the Arkansas State Crime Lab reported 457 drug overdose deaths, and fentanyl was a contributing factor in 251 of those deaths.

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