BROUSSARD, La. (KLFY) -- An Arnaudville drug dealer has become the first person in Louisiana's history to be given a life sentence for a fentanyl-related death. This comes nearly four years after he sold a UL student the fentanyl-laced drugs that killed her.
Damien Bernard, 27, sold UL student Jonterez Broussard, 20, what she thought was cocaine in October 2021. That cocaine turned out to be laced with fentanyl and killed Jonterez.
On Wednesday, a judge sentenced Bernard to life in prison. The sentencing comes nine months after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder.
"God did take my daughter, I think, so we can save lives in her name. It's really the only thing that keeps me sane," Jonterez's father, Bob Broussard, said.
Holding a photo of Jonterez in the courtroom, her father faced the man responsible for her death for the last time.
"I just wanted her to be present, not only in spirit but her beautiful face," he added.
Damien Bernard was sentenced to life in prison, a historic first in Louisiana.
"Today we have the first sentencing to life in prison to a fentanyl dealer, resulting in death. Life imprisonment. My daughter passed in 2021. In 2022, we passed Millie's Law. In 2023, we passed Jaja's Law. Next year, we're going to pass Tucker's Law," Jonterez's father told News 10.
Since Jonterez's death, her father has made it his mission to save others from fentanyl. Because of his work, there are now harsher penalties for fentanyl dealers, and it's now possible to sue fentanyl traffickers in foreign countries.
He remembers his other daughter's first reaction to his bill, Jaja's law.
"She cried and said, 'Dad, I think god took Jonterez so that you could write this bill, to save lives in her name,'" Bob said.
Now fentanyl dealers are facing life behind bars.
"Don't even think about dealing fentanyl in the state of Louisiana because life in prison is the outcome," he warned.
His fight against fentanyl, though, isn't over. He's now pushing to pass Tucker's Law, which would require fentanyl education from 6th-12th grade in public schools.
"Just quit. Just don't take the risk because there is no safe recreational drug," he said.
While Louisiana is still seeing deaths from fentanyl, data from the CDC shows that Louisiana has seen a decline in fentanyl deaths since 2022. Broussard hopes this means the laws he's worked to create in Jonterez's name is working.
