Daytona Beach man gets 30 years for Palm Coast man's fentanyl death

Frank Fernandez, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
·2 min read
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A Daytona Beach man was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday for selling a fatal dose of fentanyl to a Palm Coast man, according to a press release from the State Attorney's Office.

Jevante Hamilton, 28, who was convicted of manslaughter in August in the overdose death of Timothy Davidson in Palm Coast, was sentenced as a habitual felony offender.

While manslaughter usually carries a maximum of 15 years in prison, prosecutors argued that Hamilton was a violent felony offender, which allows for a 30-year sentence, according to the State Attorney's Office. The judge ruled in the prosecutors' favor and sentenced Hamilton to the full amount.

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Hamilton had multiple prior felony convictions, including accessory after the fact first-degree felony; grand theft; trafficking in hydrocodone; possession of cocaine; and sale of heroin within 1,000 feet of a park, according to the release.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the case on Aug. 24, 2019, when deputies were called to a house in Palm Coast's C-section after Davidson’s father found him. His father and first responders were unable to revive him.

Investigators found messages on Davidson’s cellphone showing a cocaine and heroin purchase was planned earlier that day from a seller called “Ricardo,” the release stated.

But instead of heroin and cocaine, Davidson received fentanyl, the release stated.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office then coordinated a “buy bust” in which they met with the seller, later identified as Hamilton.

After his arrest, Hamilton admitted to selling to Davidson, the release stated. A white, powdery substance was found in Hamilton's car and tested positive for fentanyl, the release stated.

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“Fentanyl is a prolific threat to our neighborhoods, communities and our country,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza stated in the press release. “Aggressive investigation, prosecution and sentencing is necessary as the deadly flow of the drug – and the alarming availability and volume of its use – has created an epidemic of epic proportions."

Assistant State Attorney Jennifer Dunton and Mark Johnson prosecuted the case while Circuit Judge Christopher France presided over the case at the Kim C. Hammond Justice Center in Bunnell.

Hamilton was sentenced in Volusia County in 2016 to three years in prison for sale of heroin within 1,000 feet of a park. He received credit for time served, and he was released on probation May 18, 2019.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Fentanyl overdose sends Daytona Beach man to prison for 30 years