Man Charged For Allegedly Selling Fentanyl At Alabama High School Basketball Game

Security worker was caught selling fentanyl-pressed pills in 2023

Health Imperatives Director of Harm Reduction Jesse Pack uses a fentanyl test strip to check a test sample at the Hyannis branch of Health Imperatives. Photo taken on August 8, 2025 / Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A 2023 incident at an Alabama high school basketball game is back in the headlines, as a man is being indicted on charges that he was selling fentanyl-pressed pills at the game.

Grissom High School was the scene for the incident, as Justin Mitchell was working as a security guard on the campus of the school when he was found to have the pills with a gun also in his car.

Charges have now been filed, according to WAFF.com.

The North Alabama Drug Task Force agents arrested Mitchell back in January 2023. The then-25-year-old was charged with drug trafficking, drug sale near a school and possession of a deadly weapon on school grounds.

Incident Took Place During 2023 Alabama High School Basketball Game

Mitchell was taken into custody by agents without incident at the high school basketball game in Alabama.

“We will not tolerate individuals bringing dangerous and illegal drugs onto our school campuses,” Huntsville Police Department Chief Kirk Giles said in a prior report. “I am thankful to our NADTF agents who moved swiftly to apprehend this individual before anyone got hurt.”

It was noted at the time that there was no evidence that Mitchell was trying to - or did - conduct any drug sales to students.

Fentanyl Known As The 'Silent Killer,' Primary Driver Of Overdose Crisis In U.S.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is used for medical purposes to treat severe pain. However, it is also illegally manufactured and is a primary driver of the overdose crisis that has hit the United States.

The drug, when used illegally, is 50-to-100 times stronger than morphine or heroin. Even just two milligrams, an amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered to be potentially fatal depending on the size of the person and tolerance for the drug.

Investigation Indicated No Students Were Sold Drugs

Grissom High School Principal Jeanne Greer released a statement at the time concerning the incident.

“We were made aware of a personnel issue and want to bring this matter to your attention immediately,” she said. “A third-party contract employee hired to assist with security at Grissom basketball game on Jan. 10 was arrested on campus last night. Please see this news release from the Huntsville Police Department for more information.

“This type of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated, and this individual will not be permitted on any of our campuses nor allowed to work any district events in the future. While there are no indications that any students were involved, we ask for your help in ensuring your child is not in possession of any items that could be harmful to their health and well-being. We thank the Huntsville Police Department for their commitment to student safety.”

The boys high school basketball team at Grissom has won two state championships and over 800 games overall, making another finals appearance to go along with four Final Four bids, nine trips to the Elite Eight and five city championships overall.

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