(Fort Worth, TX) - A 19-year-old Azle man is the first Tarrant County convict to go to prison under a new Texas law that lets prosecutors seek murder charges in some fentanyl deaths.

On Tuesday, Kaeden Farish, 19, pled guilty to murder and was sentenced to 19 years in prison. On January 20, 2024, he sold fentanyl-laced pills to a 17-year-old who overdosed and died.

This conviction is the first in Tarrant County under the new Texas law allowing prosecutors to charge individuals with murder if they make or deal fentanyl that causes death.

"We are working hard to get the people who sell this poison off the streets," Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells said.

Fentanyl is a deadly, synthetic opioid available in many forms, including powder, pills, nasal sprays, or eye drops. Because fentanyl is cheaper to manufacture than other opioids, some dealers substitute it for other substances.

Two milligrams of fentanyl, the equivalent of a few grains of table salt, can be lethal.

Last year, Sorrells created a new unit to focus on cases that involve narcotics - fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and more.

"We are holding people accountable in Tarrant County," Sorrells said. "We are doing everything we can to keep our community safe."

"We will continue to go after those who seek to profit from this deadly drug. You make it or deal it to someone who dies, we'll charge you with murder."

Thanks to state Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth, and Texas lawmakers for passing this law. Thanks to the Mid-Cities Drug Task Force and the Bedford Police Department for their hard work on this case.

This conviction comes during Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month.