Woman sentenced to prison after selling drugs causing multiple overdoses, one death
By Kristy Kepley-Steward
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ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — A Brevard woman has been sentenced to prison for distributing the drugs that led to the overdoses of multiple people and the death of at least one.
Victoria Kerrigan Irby, 26, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, in federal court by Judge Max Cogburn.
According to filed court documents and Monday’s sentencing hearing, between January 2018 and June 2019, Irby was involved in the distribution of narcotics in and around Buncombe County. Court records show that Irby was trafficking various types of narcotics but primarily engaged in the distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents, Irby distributed pure or uncut fentanyl knowing that it was causing her customers to overdose.
As discussed in court today, Irby had to revive multiple customers that had overdosed on fentanyl she was distributing.
On May 23, 2019, Irby sold fentanyl to a victim identified in court documents as D.F., which resulted in the victim’s overdose death. Irby continued to sell fentanyl even after the victim’s overdose death.
On April 4, 2022, Irby pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, a quantity of marijuana, a quantity of fentanyl, a quantity of methamphetamine, and a quantity of buprenorphine, and distribution of a quantity of heroin, a quantity of marijuana, a quantity of fentanyl, a quantity of methamphetamine, and a quantity of buprenorphine.
As part of her plea, Irby also admitted to knowingly and intentionally distributing a mixture or substance that contained fentanyl to D.F. on May 23, 2019, and that D.F.’s death resulted from his use of the fentanyl supplied by Irby. In imposing Irby’s 15-year prison sentence, Judge Cogburn stated that Irby’s conduct of continuing to sell fentanyl she knew was causing her customers to overdose and her continuing to sell fentanyl even after the fentanyl death occurred was particularly troubling.
Irby is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
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