Muncie man convicted of drug trafficking, fatally injured after overdose as a teenager

MUNCIE – A Delaware County judge on Tuesday sentenced a Muncie man for trafficking a controlled substance resulting in death.

According to prosecutors, Ricky L. Taylor was convicted of aiding, abetting, or causing the trafficking of controlled substances resulting in death, a Level 1 felony.

According to court documents, Taylor was arrested in November 2023 after a juvenile died of an apparent overdose.

A toxicological report determined that the teenager died from fentanyl and cocaine poisoning.

According to court documents, a detective with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office learned that the juvenile victim had been observed by witnesses purchasing a blue M30 pill at the Muncie Drag Strip the previous day.

The person who sold the pill was identified as Taylor. According to court documents, Taylor confessed to police that he had sold M30 pills to the victim on multiple occasions.

Today, Judge Feick found Taylor guilty of Count 1, aiding, abetting, or causing the trafficking of narcotics, a Level 1 felony, and Count 2, trafficking of narcotics, a Level 5 felony,
and Count 4, Conspiracy to Traffic in Narcotics
Drugs, a Level 5 felony. The judge found Taylor not guilty
one (1) other charge.

Under Indiana state law, a Level 1 felony is punishable by 20 – 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, and a Level 5 felony is punishable by 1 – 6 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Delaware County Assistant District Attorney Andrew Ramirez, who prosecuted the case, issued the following statement:

“I am proud to announce that a major supplier of counterfeit fentanyl pills has been convicted of aiding, abetting, or causing trafficking in a narcotic resulting in death for his role in the fentanyl distribution chain in Delaware County. To our knowledge, this may be the first time a high-level supplier has been convicted of a
Overdose death related to his distribution network. This is the 12th drug trafficker convicted in Delaware County of drug trafficking resulting in death.”