A Bethlehem man pleaded guilty in Lehigh County Court to a 2022 drug death case involving fentanyl pills.

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced the guilty plea in the fatal drug overdose that occurred in Allentown, saying that Bryce Farole-Fountain, 23, but who was 19 at the time, has pleaded guilty to felony charges of drug delivery resulting in death, possession with intent to deliver and possession of firearms without a license.

Following the plea, Judge Thomas M. Caffrey sentenced Farole-Fountain to serve 4½ to 10½ years in prison and a consecutive 10 years of probation.

Holihan said that at 3:40 p.m. Dec. 26, 2022, Allentown police responded to an apartment in the 2000 block of Vine Street for an unconscious 16-year-old boy. He said the apartment belonged to Farole-Fountain, who was present when police arrived.

The victim, who was only be identified in court by his initials of “D.I.,” was found dead in the living room. Next to him was a green pill container that was later found to contain 44 pink fentanyl pills stamped with an “M” and “10,” consistent with the markings of oxycodone.

The district attorney said an autopsy determined the boy died from fentanyl toxicity.

As the investigation unfolded, Holihan said, Farole-Fountain consented to a search of the apartment, where police found a money counter, packaging material, marijuana, shipping boxes from UPS and what appeared to be THC vape pens. Outside the apartment was a white Jeep that also belonged to Farole-Fountain.

Holihan said officers were given consent to search the vehicle, and inside they found a large amount of marijuana, packaging materials, cash, three loaded handguns and an extended magazine. One of the three firearms recovered was a “ghost gun,” and another was later determined to have been reported stolen in New Jersey.

Police determined Farole-Fountain was ineligible for a license to carry or purchase a handgun at the time.

Holihan said that between the apartment and Farole-Fountain’s vehicle, officers found more than $6,400 in cash, 12 pounds of marijuana, 8.6 grams of cocaine, several bottles of Promethazine, several boxes of THC vapes, scales, a money counter, the handguns and packaging material and other drug paraphernalia.