A Carrollton drug dealer who allegedly capitalized on the arrest of two prominent fentanyl traffickers to entice young buyers has been charged with a federal drug crime.
Donovan Jude Andrews, 20, was arrested in Carrollton on Wednesday, charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford Friday morning and was ordered detained pending trial.
According to court documents, in early February 2023, Andrews allegedly commented on an Instagram post announcing the arrest of Luis Navarrete and Magaly Cano, the pair allegedly tied to at least ten juvenile overdoses in the Carrollton Farmers Branch School District.
Posting under the handle “deegetbandz_3x,” Andrews noted that Navarrete and Cano “took all the ATTENTION” from law enforcement and divulged that he was selling M/30 pills for $10 apiece. He later shared an Instagram post announcing the overdose deaths of three kids tied to Navarrete and Cano with the caption “F**k em come get em.”
Shortly thereafter, a 14-year-old girl suffering from an apparent fentanyl overdose told police that she purchased five M/30 pills from the individual using the “deegetbandz_3x” Instagram account. She said she paid the individual via cash app and he dropped the pills in her mailbox. Home surveillance video confirmed the delivery.
Law enforcement surveilled Andrews’ home and observed him allegedly conducting hand-to-hand transactions on the street outside. They also located an 18-year-old girl, a student at Hebron High School, who admitted to buying pills from a man named “Donovan” who used the “deegetbandz_3x” Instagram handle.
In early March, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a Toyota Camry linked to Andrews. Andrews, who had a baggie of pills stashed inside in his sock, sat in the passenger seat next to a 17-year-old driver. The 17-year-old, a student at Hebron High School, told law enforcement that he drove Andrews around in return for M30 fentanyl pills.
Andrews allegedly admitted to law enforcement that he sold M/30 pills using the Instagram handle “deegetbandz_3x.” He further confirmed he delivered pills to the 14-year-old girl’s mailbox and gave the 17-year-old pills in return for his driving services.
According to the complaint, law enforcement concluded that Mr. Andrews allegedly dealt fentanyl to minors knowing fully well that counterfeit M/30 pills like the ones he was distributing were responsible for multiple overdoses and deaths.
If convicted, Andrews faces up to 20 years in federal prison.