LE CENTER — A man was sentenced to just under a year in jail for drug sales related to an investigation into a woman’s fatal overdose in Le Sueur County.
Dustin Darrell Ely, 48, initially faced a third-degree murder charge after 61-year-old Jeanne Marie Bold’s death in Le Center in April 2023. Ely was convicted on an amended third-degree drug sales charge in Le Sueur County District Court this month.
An autopsy showed Bold died of “toxic effects of methamphetamine and benzodiazepines,” according to court records. Ely was with Bold leading up to the April 20 overdose and reportedly said he called 911 after he saw her struggling for breath.
She went outside for air, where a police officer found her on the porch. Bold was reportedly in an induced coma until her eventual death on April 30, according to a criminal complaint.
Investigators used a search warrant on Ely’s residence afterward and reported finding meth, benzodiazepine pills and drug paraphernalia.
Ely was sentenced to 364 days in jail, according to a sentencing order. He will have a 27-month prison sentence stayed for five years, during which time he is to serve on supervised probation.
His probation conditions include no firearm or alcohol/drug usage or possession, random testing, going through cognitive skill training and receiving a mental health evaluation.