Arielle Roxanne Johnson, a 37-year-old resident of Alexandria, was sentenced to 70 years in prison by Judge Mark Dudley of the Madison Circuit Court Division 6. The sentencing took place on a Friday with a condition that Johnson would serve 40 years, and the remaining 30 years would be suspended. Last month, Johnson pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including two counts of dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death and one count of conspiracy to commit dealing in a narcotic drug. The court decided to impose a stricter punishment despite the plea agreement setting a maximum sentence of 40 years.
During the trial, deputy prosecutor Jesse Miller stressed the seriousness of the fentanyl crisis not just in Madison County, but across the nation. Chief Deputy Prosecutor Andrew Hanna echoed these sentiments and emphasized the prosecution’s unwavering dedication to holding drug dealers accountable for their role in perpetuating this devastating issue and causing countless tragic deaths.
Johnson’s case was founded on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit, which revealed two separate incidents that resulted in the fatalities of Cody Pidcock and Jennifer Ost due to drug overdoses on March 18 and April 4, respectively. Furthermore, there was a third victim who survived an overdose and identified Johnson as the supplier of the drugs.
During police interrogation, Johnson admitted to buying heroin and fentanyl from Dayton, Ohio. She also accepted that she gave these drugs to Pidcock and Ost, which eventually caused their overdoses.
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