United States of America v. Brandon Jerome Silas

Tulsa, Oklahoma, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with 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.

In February 2022, Haley Scruggs, age 25, 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.

The Defendant was found guilty by a jury and was sentenced to 300 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.