KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Two Kalamazoo County men plead guilty to federal charges in connection to a mass poisoning event linked to the deaths of at least seven people in April 2023, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced Monday.
James “Yola” Smith faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison while Patrick Martin faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison, Totten said.
- Previous coverage: Two men charged in connection to 2023 Kalamazoo mass fentanyl poisoning
Between April 12 and 13, 2023, fentanyl-laced cocaine was linked to a total of 18 cases, including ten hospitalizations and seven deaths, according to the Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department.
Smith admitted to the following in his guilty plea, according to Totten:…