Crystal Lake man pleads guilty to drug-induced homicide, gets 6 years in prison

A Crystal Lake man has been sentenced to six years in prison in a plea deal after he was charged for the fentanyl overdose death of a man last year.

Jeramee L. Brown, 22, entered a guilty plea Thursday before Judge Mark Gerhardt to one count of drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony, court records show. In exchange for the plea, a Class 2 felony charge of possessing fentanyl was dropped.

Brown was accused of delivering fentanyl last March to Maximus Herman, which he later ingested, causing his death while he was walking home.

Markeeon Neal, 30, and Matthew Barfield, 22, both of Rockford, also are charged with Class X felony of drug-induced homicide in connection to Herman’s death. Both have pleaded not guilty are are detained in McHenry County Jail awaiting trial.

During a June detention hearing for Brown, Assistant State’s Attorney Brian Miller said that on March 11, Brown was in his Crystal Lake apartment when he contacted Barfield to purchase drugs. Barfield then contacted Neal who, the prosecutor said, was Barfield’s “supplier.” Neal and Barfield then went to Brown’s apartment and sold him the narcotic, which Barfield told Brown contained fentanyl and that he should “be careful,” Miller said.

Brown ingested the substance with Herman, who later collapsed while walking home and died from an overdose, Miller said, adding that, after learning of the death, Barfield messaged Brown and said, “I told you be careful, bro.” Barfield then advised Brown to “cut” the remaining powder, meaning add in another substance to lessen the fentanyl’s effect, Miller said.

Barfield is “accountable” because he “set up the entire drug deal under the accountability theory of drug-induced homicide,” Miller said. “He is a danger to the community. He knew full-well he was engaging in activities he knew could kill someone, and it did kill someone.”