CHARLOTTE — A judge just sentenced two Mecklenburg County men for selling fentanyl, which caused the death of a beloved hockey coach, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday.
[ Channel 9 goes inside DEA lab for behind-the-scenes look at fentanyl crackdown ]
John Turner Jr. was all smiles while playing and coaching hockey.
His parents Sue and John Turner said their son was struggling physically and mentally when he wasn’t on the ice.
The drugs helped his anxiety, the parents told Channel 9.
Their days are now filled with pain since John Turner Jr. died of a drug overdose in January 2021.
Gregory Kirk, of Charlotte, was sentenced to almost 20 years and Patrick Tylicki, of Matthews, was sentenced to 12 years.
Kirk supplied the drugs and Tylicki sold them to John Turner Jr., according to court documents.
Tylicki told an undercover officer the potent drugs could cause people to “drop dead,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
“It could happen to anybody,” said John Turner. “It could happen to another kid just as easily as it happened to Johnny.”
Loved ones want John Turner’s legacy to live on.
A group of his hockey players and their parents started the Turnsy Foundation in his honor.
They hope to spread awareness about mental health and substance abuse disorders, particularly among struggling athletes.
“Just something to encourage to keep from getting to the bad level of mental illness and then ultimately the addictions,” Sue Turner said.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Kirk’s residence as part of the investigation where they recovered nearly a kilogram of fentanyl, 13 pounds of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and more than $4,800 in cash.
John Turner said he was glad the federal agency made the case so it would deter others.
VIDEO: Suspect was friends with man who died from fentanyl overdose, family says
This browser does not support the video element.