Suspect arrested in connection with drug overdose death of Aledo teen

From the Parker County Sheriff’s Office

The Parker County Sheriff’s Office, working in collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Fort Worth Police, spearheaded an investigation leading to the arrest of a suspect in connection with the overdose death of an Aledo teen.  

Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier said the case stemmed from the death investigation of an 18-year-old teen who died April 13 from an apparent overdose.  Law enforcement authorities believe the teen crushed and snorted one-quarter of a round, blue tablet marked “M30 that we believe was sold to him as Percocet.”  

Parker County Special Crimes Unit (SCU) and Criminal Investigations Division (CID) began the investigation discovering the identity of the person who supplied the teen with the drugs on the day he died.   

SCU investigators working in an undercover capacity purchased additional pills from the suspect the very same day the victim died and submitted them to a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) drug laboratory for testing. The laboratory results confirmed both sets of pills purchased in the undercover buy and those seized at the teen’s home contained Fentanyl and were likely from the same source.    

Based on this information, the case was submitted to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Fort Worth to investigate the findings as a federal case.  

On April 14, the suspected supplier, Brosnon Marquis Ashton, 29, of Fort Worth, was arrested by Tarrant County Sheriff's deputies for a felon in possession of a firearm warrant with the assistance of Parker County Special Crimes Unit and sheriff’s investigators.

On Thursday, April 29, DEA Task Force investigators recruited the assistance of Fort Worth Special Weapons and Tactics Unit to execute a search warrant of Ashton’s vehicles and home on Heidelberg Drive in Fort Worth. Ashton left the residence at 12:15 p.m., and was apprehended a few blocks away by Fort Worth Police without incident.   

Another female individual found inside the home with a 2-year-old toddler was detained by Fort Worth Police and later released to the custody of DEA agents. Child protective services was contacted due to the narcotics being accessible in proximity to the child. The female was later released on scene pending the child protective services investigation. The toddler was released to the custody of a family member.

Law enforcement authorities seized numerous amounts of illegal narcotics found inside the home including 22 grams of blue M30 tablets containing suspected fentanyl, 71 grams of suspected cocaine, 620 grams of suspected marijuana, eight grams of suspected Adderall (amphetamine), 36 partial bottles of suspected Promethazine liquid, and $3,000 in currency believed to be from the illegal sale of narcotics.

Federal charges against Ashton include possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance causing death, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Law enforcement authorities are seeking that Ashton be held without bond. Ashton is expected to appear before a federal magistrate today.    

Sheriff Authier said the case against Ashton would not have been made possible without the Parker County Sheriff’s Office SCU and CID investigators and the assistance of Fort Worth Police, Fort Worth SWAT and DEA.

“Our hearts go out to the family of the teen who lost his life senselessly,” said Sheriff Authier. “We hope this arrest may prevent other individuals from falling victim to these deadly counterfeit drugs. We are grateful to our SCU investigators who worked relentlessly on this case and were able to make a buy from the suspect within 18 hours from the time they started their investigation. We wish to also thank several local and federal agencies who routinely collaborate and work with us on these types of cases. All the investigators worked tirelessly to see the case culminate with an arrest.”