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Allen Rhoades, 31, of Doylestown, was sentenced to seven to 20 years in prison for providing the drugs that led to the death of Joshua Patterson, 22, of Philadelphia, while both men were serving time on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, the DA's Office detailed in a release.
Patterson was pronounced dead days after he was found unresponsive and not breathing in his cell on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, according to the district attorney's office. An autopsy found that his death was the result of complication from fentanyl intoxication.
The investigation into Patterson's death involved reviewing hours of surveillance footage and interviewing several witnesses, The Bucks County District Attorney's Office said. Detectives found that Rhoades sold or traded drugs to other inmates, including Patterson, for food and other items.
This led to an investigation by the Bucks County Detectives Drug Strike Force and Bucks County Department of Corrections Investigation Unit which found that Rhoades was smuggling fentanyl and methamphetamine into the Bucks County Correctional Facility, the district attorney's office said.
When the detectives searched Rhoades' cell, they found eight bundles, or 123 wax bags, of suspected heroin and nine bags of methamphetamine, according to the district attorney's office. They also found a clear bag and a homemade straw in Patterson's cell, both of which tested positive for fentanyl.
Rhoades was sentenced Tuesday, Oct. 1, according to the district attorney's office. He pleaded guilty to:
- Drug Delivery Resulting in Death.
- Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance.
- Conspiracy to Commit Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance.
- Possession of Contraband.
Rhoades also entered guilty pleas in four other drug-related cases, the district attorney's office said.
Patterson's mother and other relatives spoke in court about how his loss has impacted them, according to the district attorney's office.
Along with the additional jail time, Rhoades will have to pay $3,000 in restitution and spend 10 years on probation, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said.
Rhoades was in prison after being arrested for outstanding warrants by state police following a traffic stop on Interstate 95 in Bensalem Township on Monday, July 25, 2022, according to the district attorney's office.
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