South Kingstown Man Charged with Fentanyl Distribution

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI—South Kingstown police have charged a 31-year-old local man with felony delivery of narcotics as part of an investigation into heroin and fentanyl in town.

Howard Courtemanche, 31, of 604 Stony Fort Road, allegedly sold fentanyl to members of the police department's detective division in several controlled buys during an investigation.

As police investigated Courtemanche's alleged drug dealing, he was arrested and sent to the Adult Correctional Institutions on an unrelated charge of driving a motor vehicle without the consent of the owner and driving with a suspended license, third offense. That happened on Sept. 1. Police said Wednesday that he was arraigned in Fourth Division District Court today on two new felony charges of delivery of a schedule II narcotic.

Before his most-recent incarceration, police said Courtmanche was on a suspended sentence and serving probation for previous convictions related to prior cocaine and heroin possession and delivery charges.

Police said their investigation is part of a larger effort to respond to the opoid epidemic.

Fentanyl, in particular, is a potent synthetic opioid that is more powerful than heroin and is a factor in most fatal overdoses.

Booking photo via South Kingstown Police Department.