Father Who Caused Overdose of his Infant Son Sentenced to 137 Months in Prison for Dealing Fentanyl and Possessing a Firearm

St. Louis, Missouri – United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig sentenced Gayron Sloan, 39, of St. Louis, to 137 months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to the plea agreement, on January 15, 2019, police served a search warrant at the home of Gayron Sloan in St. Louis, Missouri.  During the search, police found in the living room fentanyl, marijuana, and drug distribution paraphernalia, including scales, blenders, and suboxone.  In Sloan’s bedroom, police found individually packaged fentanyl, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine. Also in the bedroom, police found a loaded 9 mm Taurus make semiautomatic handgun with a large capacity magazine.  Drugs and drug paraphernalia were in places accessible to a toddler. 

While police were conducting the search and interviewing Sloan, his 14-month-old son was in daycare in St. Louis.  Daycare workers grew concerned when his son was uncharacteristically sleepy and having trouble breathing.  The son was transported to the hospital.  Blood tests confirmed that the child had fentanyl and a metabolite of cocaine in his system.  Medical professionals successfully treated the child with narcan, a drug that works to counteract the effects of opioid overdoses.  The child regained consciousness after being treated with two doses of narcan.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated this case.  Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dunkel handled this case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.