Tampa man charged with murder after selling deadly drugs, police say

TAMPA – A dealer who sold drugs that killed a Tampa man was arrested Friday and charged with murder.

According to police, 48-year-old Jeffrey Moyer sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to 29-year-old Kenny Martin in February – the day of his death.

“This is the first arrest Tampa Police have made for murder related to the illegal distribution of controlled substances,” said Police Chief Lee Bercaw.

Other law enforcement agencies in Tampa Bay have already filed first-degree charges in drug-related deaths.

In February, Pinellas Park police charged a man with murder after he allegedly sold fentanyl to two people who died of an overdose in their apartment.

In April, Hillsborough County officials charged a man with murder after they said he sold fentanyl that led to the death of a man at a mobile home park in Thonotosassa.

More than 6,200 Floridians died after using fentanyl in 2022, according to a coroner’s report. The premeditated murder charge is an attempt to curb distribution of the drug.

On February 8, Tampa police responded to a medical emergency on N. Forest Hills Drive and found Martin unconscious in his bathroom. They attempted to resuscitate him, but he died after being taken to the hospital.

Officers discovered two baggies in his pants pocket that tested positive for meth and fentanyl. The Hillsborough County Coroner determined that the drugs were the direct cause of Martin’s death.

Investigators later learned that Martin had purchased the drugs from Moyer, who was arrested at his home and taken to the Pasco County Jail.