TULSA, Okla. - Today, a judge ordered Brandon Jerome Silas to 25 years imprisonment after a federal jury convicted him in May, for the fentanyl related death of 29-year-old Haley Nicole Scruggs.

In May, a federal jury convicted Silas, 45, of Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death; four counts of Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony; and Money Laundering.

U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Silas to 300 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.

"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 Oklahoma."

"This sentence sends a message to those who distribute and profit from the distribution of poison in our communities," said Joseph B. Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Division, which covers the State of Oklahoma. "The men and women of DEA and their law enforcement partners work tirelessly hold accountable those praying on the addictions of others, never wavering in the pursuit of justice."

In February 2022, Haley Scruggs fought with her boyfriend about wanting to purchase opioids. After completing drug rehabilitation, her boyfriend discovered that she was relapsing and told her that he would help her stay clean. But if she relapsed, they could not stay together.

While her boyfriend was at work the following day, Haley called her friend, Silas, several times, and sent him more than 90 text messages. A DEA agent testified that through texts, Haley explained to Silas how to get to her house. When Silas arrived, he texted Haley that he was there. Shortly after that, Haley stopped responding to her phone.

Concerned, her boyfriend left work and discovered Haley at home, unresponsive. He immediately called 911, and she was pronounced deceased.

During the trial, two witnesses took the stand and explained to the jury how they originally started purchasing pills from Silas in 2019. When they went to Silas for fentanyl, he warned both of them to "be careful."

Silas' bank records presented to the jury showed that money was being digitally transferred from various peer-to-peer cash applications into his accounts. Bank records indicated that Silas deposited or transferred more than $450,000 into his accounts over 14 months.

Court records show that Silas knew of Haley's death and continued to sell drugs. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

DEA fentanyl seizures represent over 133 million deadly doses in 2025. Click here to find additional resources or learn more about the OnePillCanKill campaign.

The Drug Enforcement Administration Oklahoma City District Office and the Broken Arrow Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Bailey and Charles Greenough prosecuted the case.