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     In July of 2023, a young woman died of an overdose on Jackson Street in Janesville. Found hidden inside her bra was a small packet of green-colored fentanyl. Detective Erin Johnson of the Janesville Police Department was assigned as lead investigator. Detective Johnson searched the young woman's phone and found a text conversation with someone who appeared to be the person who sold her the drugs. 
      She then teamed up with the Janesville PD's Street Crimes Unit and the Rock County Sheriff's Office's Special Investigations Unit. Together, the law enforcement agencies messaged her dealer and asked to buy some more. They arrested Eric Carter, age 39 of Beloit, with a packet of green-colored fentanyl in his pocket.
      Assistant District Attorney David Zarwell charged Carter with multiple drug-related crimes, including First Degree Reckless Homicide for delivering the fentanyl that killed the young woman. Carter had been released on Extended Supervision only a month before his arrest, and was revoked and sent to prison while he awaited trial. Between his revocation and his first attorney taking a new position, the case took almost three years to get to trial.      
      Monday, a panel of Rock County jurors were seated in Judge Jeffery Kuglitsch's courtroom to begin a long week of trial with ADA Zarwell, Detective Johnson, and Assistant District Attorney Carli McNeill. The jury heard from officers of the Janesville Police Department, and deputies of the Rock County Sheriff's Office, plus analysts from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab and multiple employees of the Rock County Medical Examiner's Office.
      Yesterday, after four days of trial, the jury found Carter guilty of multiple drug felonies, including the most serious, First Degree Reckless Homicide.
      "Our whole community should be proud of this outcome," said District Attorney Jason Sanders. "This level of collaboration – this excellent work by the Janesville Police Department and the Rock County Sheriff's Office – definitely captured a drug dealer, and probably prevented a future
overdose."
      Sanders was also extremely complimentary of the prosecution team of ADAs Zarwell and McNeill and Detective Erin Johnson. "The four days of trial is just the tip of the iceberg," Sanders said. "These fine professionals spent weeks preparing for every detail in order to make the jury's job as easy as possible."

      Carter will be sentenced by Judge Kuglitsch on July 29. He faces up to 25 years in prison on the Homicide, as well as another 23 years on the other felonies if the Judge chooses to run the sentences consecutively.
 
Contact: Jason Sanders, Rock County District Attorney
[email protected]