Patrick Small

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

A Fredericksburg man will spend decades in prison after a fatal overdose investigation led to the seizure of dangerous drugs in Stafford County.

Patrick Small, 45, was sentenced to 40 years in prison — with 20 years to serve — after pleading guilty again to multiple counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Late last year, members of the Stafford County Sheriff's Office responded to a suspected overdose death in North Stafford, according to the sheriff's office. 

Detectives with the Special Investigations Unit joined the case, which soon prompted an operation involving the county SWAT Team.

Days after the overdose, investigators conducted a traffic stop near Warrenton Road and South Gateway Drive, where detectives seized heroin, 90 fentanyl pills, and xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer often linked to fatal overdoses.

Small was initially arrested during the investigation and charged with:

  • Distribution of fentanyl;
  • Distributing fentanyl as a weapon of terror;
  • Possession of heroin;
  • Possession of xylazine.

He has been held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond since his arrest.