Chenevert allegedly provided Poplow with drugs that led to overdose, death

A jury trial has been scheduled for an Albert Lea man charged with third-degree murder.

Dustin Charles Chenevert, 27, faces trial in Dakota County District Court on June 13.

Chenevert allegedly provided methadone and other pain pills to 18-year-old Colton Poplow, also of Albert Lea, who died in a South St. Paul hotel room on Feb.28.

Authorities said Poplow had taken methadone the night before, swallowing a few pills in a panic because he feared police were going to check for drugs.

According to the charges, investigators learned Poplow had bought both methadone and Dilaudid, another prescription painkiller, from Chenevert.

Chenevert faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and/or a $40,000 fine.

“If Dustin being charged prevents another family from this pain, another life saved, controlled substances from being sold, then Colton’s life has even greater meaning than all he gave to all of us,” said Darlene Federly, Poplow’s mother, in a statement to the Tribune earlier this year. “We need to remember the love, happiness, smiles, laughter, friendship and wisdom Colton brought to so many lives.”

Federly said more needs to be done to bring change in drug rehabilitation and in how drugs are being distributed and made available without monitoring to recovering drug addicts.