COLUMBIA, S.C. — A Columbia man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after authorities say he distributed fentanyl to a University of South Carolina student, leading to her death.
According to federal prosecutors, Vernon Antwan Martin, 37, of Columbia, was sentenced for distributing fentanyl to a 20-year-old University of South Carolina student, resulting in her death.
Investigators say the case began in May 2023, when Columbia Police officers conducted a welfare check at a Columbia apartment after family and friends reported they could not reach the woman. Officers discovered the student dead inside the apartment…