A Gainesville man is in jail on a felony murder charge in connection with a fentanyl overdose death in Lumpkin County. Law enforcement charged 34-year-old Joshua Arnes Maney on Monday after a seven-month-long investigation into the November 2021 death.
The GBI’s Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office investigated with assistance from the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office.
Maney is currently in the Hall County Detention Center. In addition to murder, he faces charges for trafficking fentanyl, possession of marijuana and a Schedule I drug with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm during certain crimes.
GBI-ARDEO Special Agent in Charge Trent Hillsman says this is an ongoing investigation.
Charging alleged dealers with murder in connection with overdose deaths is a growing trend among law enforcement. Hillsman says the courts have not yet warmed up to the overdose-related murder charge which often gets lowered or dropped. Still, he says, the threat of severe punishment may make some drug dealers think twice before selling it.
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