The Dunwoody Police Department has charged a Norcross man with felony murder in connection with the drug overdose of a person who was found dead in a house last summer.
Ivan Jerrell Lightsey, 45, who is being held in the Gwinnett County Jail on a host of unrelated felony charges, has been charged with selling the 34-year-old victim “the lethal dose of drugs that resulted in the victim’s death.”
Police had responded to a call on Aug. 2, 2023, to a residential home on Coronation Drive, located in a quiet subdivision off Spalding Drive, regarding a drug overdose, according to a release from the Dunwoody Police Department. The victim was found dead by authorities.
The agency partnered with Gwinnett County Police, which identified Lightsey as a suspect, and on Jan. 12, he was charged with felony murder.
Lightsey is currently being held without bond, charged with 12 felony counts, including selling controlled substances, trafficking methamphetamine and morphine, possession of cocaine, and possession of a firearm. His misdemeanor charges include driving with a suspended or revoked license and obstruction of law enforcement officers. He has been in jail since Aug. 29.
According to Dunwoody Police Sgt. Mike Cheek, Lightsey’s arrest marks the second time an alleged drug dealer has been charged with felony murder in connection with an overdose death by Dunwoody Police.
Cheek said reported drug overdoses are rising.
“In the last six years, Dunwoody Police officers have responded to over 156 overdose incidents and 35 of those resulted in death,” Cheek said. “The life-saving drug Naloxone has been administered by Dunwoody Police officers over 79 times since the department first acquired the drug in 2015. The majority of these incidents involved opioids, such as heroin, fentanyl, and many prescription pills.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.