NEWTON COUNTY — Last Thursday, Oct. 30, Matthew Bruce Burley submitted a guilty plea to charges of involuntary manslaughter, distributing fentanyl and trafficking fentanyl. The charges stem from the Dec. 30, 2022 overdose death of James Nail, Jr.
Burley will serve 15 years in prison without parole, followed by 15 years on probation, according to a news release from the Newton County District Attorney’s Office.
Per the release, officers with the Covington Police Department (CPD) responded to an overdose on Hannah Street. Nail, the subject of the call, was hospitalized at Piedmont Newton and later pronounced dead.
Following Nail’s death, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Crime Lab conducted tests that informed authorities that Nail had both fentanyl and xylazine – a drug commonly called “tranq” – in his system, which caused his death.
Naloxone (commonly known by its brand name Narcan) is a medication that is commonly used to reverse the effects of a drug overdose. It is effective against fentanyl, but cannot reverse the effects of xylazine, as xylazine is not an opioid.
“While Fentanyl has legitimate medical uses, over the last 10 years, the illegal use of fentanyl has increased,” the release states, in part. “Xylazine (commonly called “tranq”) is a powerful animal tranquilizer not approved for human use. Illegal drug manufacturers and distributors mix Xylazine with Fentanyl to prolong the effects of Fentanyl.”
A CPD investigation revealed evidence that Nail had obtained the drugs from Burley. Working with the GBI West Metro Regional Drug Task Force, officers obtained a search warrant for Burley’s residence on Highway 81.
Later that same day, June 21, 2023, the search was executed, revealing “approximately 6 grams of fentanyl.”
“This amount formed the basis for the Trafficking charge as possession of 4 or more grams of fentanyl is considered a trafficking amount,” per the release.
District Attorney Randy McGinley said that the case demonstrated the office’s commitment to prosecuting cases of deadly drug distribution.
“In 2023, there were over 70,000 overdose deaths in the United States from synthetic opioids, with about 70% attributed to Fentanyl,” McGinley wrote, in part. “Those that sell and distribute these drugs need to be aware of the harsh consequences they face for spreading this poison in Newton and Walton County.
“I commend the Covington Police Department and the GBI for their hard work and dedication to addressing the plague of these deadly drugs.”
