ST. LOUIS – A Park Hills, Missouri, man appeared in federal court on Tuesday to be sentenced for smuggling a fatal dose of drugs into the St. Francois County Jail.

Prosecutors with the Eastern District of Missouri’s U.S. Attorney’s Office said Timothy L. Noll, 35, arrived at the jail on July 27, 2021. He arranged to have methamphetamine and fentanyl delivered to him in the jail so he could sell them to other incarcerated individuals.

Noll contacted an intermediary and instructed that person to get the drugs from Garry W. Triplett and hide them in a Bible.

On Aug. 1, the intermediary arranged for the Bible to be delivered to Noll at the jail. But the following day, Noll learned he was being transferred to a state prison and couldn’t bring the Bible with him.

Noll asked jail staff to give the Bible to his cellmate.

That cellmate, who was not identified, died two days later of mixed drug intoxication. Prosecutors said the victim had 19 ng/ml of fentanyl in his bloodstream. As little as 3 ng/ml can be fatal.

Noll pleaded guilty on May 22 to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death and one count of distribution of controlled substances resulting in death.

A U.S. District Court judge sentenced Noll to 22 years in federal prison.

Triplett pleaded guilty on May 28 to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death and one count of distributing of controlled substances. He’ll be sentenced in December.