La'Neil Kha'Nyas Baker admitted to supplying the lethal dose of fentanyl that killed the older man on January 24, just two days after Baker himself had been stopped by police and cited for fentanyl possession. That traffic stop resulted in drug charges and a day in jail for Baker, authorities said.

Deputies discovered the victim after responding to a call at a home on SW Beth Drive in Lake City. A drug task force investigating the source of the narcotics identified Baker as a suspect. Laboratory tests later matched the fentanyl found in the dead man's system with the fentanyl seized during Baker's traffic stop.

Baker was arrested on January 29 for conspiracy to traffic fentanyl. The investigation continued until homicide charges could be substantiated, the sheriff's office said.

The case marks only the second known instance in the Third Judicial Circuit in which a homicide conviction was obtained against someone for causing a death by supplying illegal narcotics. In addition to the 20-year prison term, Baker will serve eight years of probation.

The sentencing underscores the region's ongoing struggle with the opioid crisis and the growing willingness of prosecutors to pursue homicide charges against those who distribute deadly drugs. Community advocates have long called for expanded addiction treatment and harm-reduction services to prevent overdoses before they happen.