An Akron drug dealer was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in prison after he pleaded guilty to providing his pregnant girlfriend with the deadly drug that killed her.
Rashon Williams, 22, changed his plea to guilty on two counts of involuntary manslaughter, heroin trafficking and, in a separate case, cocaine possession.
According to prosecutors, Megan Carlson, 26, of Cuyahoga Falls, died of a drug overdose on Aug. 4. The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office determined she had used carfentanil, a drug similar to heroin but so potent it’s used as a sedative in zoos for large animals like elephants.
Carlson was expected to give birth to a baby girl in October. The baby, though, also died.
Judge Christine Croce sentenced Williams to four years in prison for the deaths of Carlson and the unborn child. He’ll serve the sentences one after the other for a total of eight years.
Croce gave Carlson’s mother, Debby Carlson, a chance to address the court before she sentenced Williams.
The mother described her daughter as caring, friendly and empathetic. She said her daughter was an addict who’d been in recovery for more than two years before her death.
She said the last time she saw her daughter alive was the day she died. Debby Carlson, her daughter and her mother got lunch together.
“As we left the restaurant, Megan placed my hands on her belly, wanting me to feel the baby move,” the mother said through tears. “Then she told me she loved me, and I told her that I loved her.
“Those would be the last words I would ever get to say to her.”
She said her life has been changed forever because of her daughter’s death.
“My life is now filled with sadness,” she said. “I ache for a granddaughter I will never hold.”
Given a chance to speak, Williams apologized to Carlson and her family.
“I’m sorry for everything I caused for you and your family,” he said. “I’ve got two kids of my own. I’m sorry.”
Williams then broke down in tears.
The judge ordered Williams to be led away in handcuffs. She noted that his family and friends — about 30 of whom gathered in the courtroom for the hearing — have also been affected by his actions. She urged the people of Summit County to do something to fight the ongoing opioid epidemic because she’s seen too many cases like this one.
“This truly is an epidemic,” she said.
Nick Glunt can be reached at 330-996-3565 or nglunt@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickGluntABJ and on Facebook @JournoNickGlunt .