KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Rock Port, Mo. man pleaded guilty today in federal court to selling fentanyl to another Atchison County, Mo. man, which resulted in his fatal overdose.
Quentin W. Carder, 23, pleaded guilty before US District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, which caused the death of another person, and a charge of distribution of fentanyl and cocaine, which caused the death of another person.
Pleading guilty today, Carder admitted handing out four blue pills that appeared to be oxycodone, but were counterfeit and actually contained fentanyl, to a person identified in court records as “CL” on June 18, 2021. Carder had previously supplied CL with cocaine.
In the early hours of June 20, 2021, CL used one of the fentanyl pills obtained by Carder. Later that morning, CL’s father found him in his bedroom, numb and in medical distress. CL was transported to a hospital for medical treatment, but ultimately died and was pronounced dead on June 22, 2021. Under today’s plea deal, a forensic toxicologist concluded that CL would not have died other than from acute fentanyl poisoning.
Under federal statutes, Carder is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole, up to a life sentence without parole. The maximum legal penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on advisory sentencing guidelines and other legal factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled following the completion of an investigation into the submission by the US Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Byron H. Black. He is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Atchison County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an OCDETF (Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces) operation. The OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-led, multi-agency approach. More information about the OCDETF program can be found at
