Tulsa drug dealer sentenced to 25 years for 2022 fentanyl death of 29-year-old woman

A federal judge sentenced Brandon Jerome Silas, 45, to 25 years in prison on Tuesday for distributing fentanyl that caused the death of 29-year-old Haley Nicole Scruggs in 2022.

U.S. District Judge John D. Russell imposed the 300-month sentence, followed by five years of supervised release, after a jury convicted Silas in May on charges including Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death, four counts of Use of a Communication Facility in Committing a Drug Trafficking Felony, and Money Laundering.

“Silas will be close to 70 years old when he is released from federal prison after killing Haley Scruggs,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I am grateful for our federal and state partners who worked together to stop Silas from dealing deadly drugs in the Northern District of

Joseph B. Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Division, which oversees Oklahoma, added: “This sentence sends a message to those who distribute and profit from the distribution of poison in our communities.

The men and women of DEA and their law enforcement partners work tirelessly to hold accountable those preying on the addictions of others.”Court records detail the tragic events of February 2022. Scruggs, who had recently completed drug rehabilitation, argued with her boyfriend about relapsing into opioid use.

The next day, while he was at work, she contacted Silas — described in testimony as a friend and drug supplier via multiple phone calls and over 90 text messages, directing him to her home.

.Silas arrived and texted her upon reaching the location. Shortly afterward, Scruggs stopped responding. Her boyfriend returned from work, found her unresponsive, and called 911, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

During the trial, witnesses testified that they began buying pills from Silas in 2019 and that he warned them to "be careful" when providing fentanyl. Evidence also showed Silas deposited or transferred more than $450,000 into his accounts over 14 months via peer-to-peer payment apps, indicating profits from drug sales.

Court documents revealed he continued dealing drugs even after learning of Scruggs' death.The case was investigated by the DEA Oklahoma City District Office and the Broken Arrow Police Department, with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Bailey and Charles Greenough.

Silas remains in custody awaiting transfer to a federal prison. The DEA noted that its fentanyl seizures in 2025 represent over 133 million potentially deadly doses, underscoring the ongoing crisis.