Lynchburg, Va. (BTW21) — A Lynchburg woman has been sentenced to 20 years in prison following her conviction on multiple drug charges linked to a series of overdoses, including two fatal incidents.
The case, which dates back to March 2023, has drawn significant attention to the ongoing issues surrounding the distribution of illegal narcotics in the region.
On Thursday, Lynchburg Commonwealth Attorney Bethany Harrison released further details regarding the case, which began with a tragic overdose death at WillowBrook Apartments on March 25, 2023. Police responded to the scene, where a 22-year-old man was found dead from an apparent overdose.
A search of the victim’s apartment revealed several suspected narcotics, and the death was initially investigated as an accidental overdose based on information provided by the victim's girlfriend and her roommate, 23-year-old Safeeyah Clement.
Recent changes in Virginia law allowed for a "safe harbor" provision, which protects individuals who seek help for someone experiencing an overdose. However, this legal protection does not extend to the distribution of drugs, and it would not shield Clement from criminal liability.
Just days later, on March 31, 2023, authorities responded to another overdose at the same apartment complex.
This time, a 22-year-old man was found suffering from an overdose outside Clement's apartment. Thanks to the quick response of the Lynchburg Police Department and Lynchburg Fire Department, the individual was revived and later released from Lynchburg General Hospital.
Clement told officers that she had found the man outside her apartment and called for help. However, the connection between Clement and the overdoses grew clearer in the days that followed.
On April 1, 2023, a third overdose linked to Clement occurred at a different location on Stratford Road in Lynchburg.
Officers discovered a 23-year-old man who had died from an overdose. A friend of the deceased provided police with a bag of narcotics that the man had purchased from Clement.
The friend stated that the deceased had feared the pills were the same ones involved in the prior overdose death and had instructed her to dispose of the drugs.
Following this lead, police obtained a search warrant for Clement’s apartment, where they uncovered dozens of pills, bags containing powder, plant material, and mushrooms.
A subsequent search of a storage unit in Bedford County uncovered an even larger quantity of suspected narcotics. Investigators also seized Clement’s phone, revealing numerous text messages between her and drug buyers, including the two deceased individuals.
These messages provided key evidence that Clement had sold drugs to both men before their deaths.
Some of the messages recovered from Clement’s phone included references to overdose incidents and her drug dealing activities:
“Someone oded in my apartment the cops took my snow lol”
“Yo cops just stole my stash, my dude od’d here. Anyway, you can help get me more?”
“100 xans lmao. Gone. I’m teed. I’m not getting charged through.”
Autopsies on the two men confirmed that their systems contained deadly levels of Fentanyl and Bromazolam, substances that could have killed them several times over.
The narcotics seized during the investigation included Fentanyl, Lorazepam, Amphetamine, Methylphenidate, Cocaine, Bromazolam, Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and Psilocyn.
On November 18, 2024, Clement pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including:
4 Counts of Distribution of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance
7 Counts of Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance
1 Count of Distribution of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance
In court, Clement admitted to her involvement in the drug trade, stating, “I was going to school for business and got caught up with the wrong crowd.
Unfortunately, people were affected, and I am in trouble now.”
Judge Yeatts of the Lynchburg Circuit Court sentenced Clement to 60 years in prison, with 40 years suspended, leaving her with 20 years to serve. Upon her release, she will be placed under 24 months of supervised probation and must comply with 50 years of good behavior.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of illegal drug distribution, not only on the individuals involved but on the entire community.