GALVESTON — Family members and advocates gathered Monday in Galveston County to protest what they describe as an unjustly light sentence in a fentanyl-related death case that has drawn widespread attention across the county.
The demonstration comes more than a month after 35-year-old Kamron Zaheri was sentenced to 10 years deferred adjudication probation and 180 days in jail in connection with the 2023 death of Wade Potter.
The case first drew attention after Zaheri pleaded guilty in one of Galveston County’s first fentanyl-related murder prosecutions under Texas House Bill 6, a law that allows murder charges in overdose deaths involving fentanyl.
On Monday, members of Texas Against Fentanyl, an Austin-based advocacy organization, joined Potter’s former girlfriend, Brandi McKnight, in calling for greater accountability and stronger sentencing in similar cases.
“When we found that the gentleman here only received probation, it really sparked us into acting because that’s not right,” said Carilu Bell with Texas Against Fentanyl.
Bell said the organization has worked with families across Texas affected by fentanyl-related deaths and pointed to similar cases in other counties that resulted in decades-long prison sentences.
During the protest, advocates displayed signs comparing sentences handed down in Smith, Collin, and Williamson counties, where defendants in fentanyl death cases reportedly received prison terms ranging from 30 to 40 years.
By contrast, organizers say the Galveston County sentence has left Potter’s family and supporters questioning how the punishment was determined.
“No, not really,” McKnight said when asked whether she had received answers about the lighter sentence. “I’ve heard that a lot of this has to do with the ADA not asking for or giving a recommendation on what kind of a sentence they wanted.”
McKnight said she believes prosecutors should have pushed for a harsher sentence.
“They could have fought for a higher sentence than they did,” she said.
Beyond the legal outcome, organizers said the protest was also aimed at increasing public awareness about the dangers of fentanyl, particularly in drugs that may be unknowingly laced.
“Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin, 100 times stronger than morphine,” Bell said. “Nothing is safe out there anymore.”
Advocates stressed that many victims are not habitual drug users, but young people experimenting for the first time.
“It’s not just addicts that are dying,” McKnight said. “A lot of these kids are 14, 15, 16 years old. They’re experimenting one time and they’re dying.”
The protest follows weeks of controversy surrounding the case, including public criticism from Galveston County District Attorney Kenneth Cusick and subsequent remarks from the court regarding the sentencing process.
For McKnight, the issue remains deeply personal.
“In my case with Wade, we didn’t get accountability,” she said. “We got a slap.”
Advocates say they plan to continue pressing for stronger enforcement and tougher penalties in fentanyl-related death cases across Galveston County and Texas.
