A drug dealer in Ohio was ordered by a judge this week to cover the funeral costs for a teen who died of a fentanyl overdose.
Michael Chandler, 29, of Cincinnati was also sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for drug distribution and possession. Authorities say Chandler sold a lethal amount of fentanyl to a 17-year-old identified in court documents as J.H. The teen was found dead in his home in April.
According to The Associated Press, an investigation into the teen’s death led authorities to Chandler, whose home contained a “large quantity” of fentanyl, as well as cocaine, drug paraphernalia and a handgun.
Chandler had previously served time for cocaine and heroin trafficking, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.
A video reviewed by prosecutors and obtained by the Enquirer shows Chandler doling out packets of drugs from behind the wheel of his car as customers drive by in broad daylight.
In the clip, Chandler compared his drug dealing to a “McDonald’s.”
“It was one of the most appalling things I’ve seen in my nearly 20-year career,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker told the Enquirer in response to the clip.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett sentenced Chandler to nearly 17 years in prison and ordered him to pay $9,000 in restitution to cover J.H.’s funeral costs, reported WCPO-TV.
“In the end, [J.H.] was nothing more than a customer to Chandler,” prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum. “We do consider [Chandler’s] actions abominable, or better put, monstrous.”