JACKSONVILLE – The case of Trumaine Devone Muller, 33, of Jacksonville, earned national attention in May 2017 when Sheriff Darryl Daniels announced the reputed drug dealer would face first-degree murder charges for selling fentanyl-laced heroin that led to the death of an Orange Park college student.

Now, a year later, without little fanfare, Muller’s case is weaving its way through the courts, but not on the state level where it all began. With his case being passed on to United States District Court, a federal grand jury indicted Muller on four felony charges in the November 10, 2016 death of 18-year-old Ariel Jade Brundige who died of a drug overdose in an apartment in the 1400 block of Berrier Street in Orange Park.

Muller is accused of selling the drugs to Brundige the day before she died, but after further investigation, Muller faces three new charges of selling other drugs on other dates.

Count two of the indictment cites a case in which Muller allegedly “knowingly and intentionally” sold a mixture of heroin that included a detectable amount of furanyfentanyl, a schedule I drug under U.S. law. This sale allegedly took place on January 31, 2017, however, the federal indictment filed this year on May 10 does not give details about where the drug sale took place.

Count three of the indictment cites an alleged Muller drug sale that took place on February 8, 2017 in which the drug mixture was made up of heroin and cocaine.

Count four is a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon dating to an offense that occurred on February 8, 2017. According to the indictment, Muller was in possession of a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber special plus P revolver on that date.

The indictment also cites prior felony convictions in state courts dating back to July 28, 2005, when Muller was convicted of grand theft. In 2006, he was convicted for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and in 2007, 2008 and 2011, he was convicted of possession of cocaine and the sale of cocaine. He also has convictions for evidence tampering and introducing contraband into a county detention facility.

On May 23, U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Barksdale held an arraignment for Muller – who is also known by the nicknames Jolly and Lucky – in a federal courtroom in Jacksonville. Muller pleaded not guilty to all four counts in the May 10 indictment. He is currently in federal custody while he awaits a status conference set for Aug. 20 in Jacksonville before Judge Marcia Morales Howard. He could go on to a jury trial as early as Sept. 4.

In the original Muller case, a Clay County grand jury indicted Muller along with Brundige’s boyfriend, Tyler William Hamilton, 26, and friend Christopher Allen Williams, 32, for manslaughter related to her death. Both were with the victim when she purchased the narcotics and when she died. The incident occurred at Williams’ residence in the 1400 block of Berrier Street. Hamilton and Brundige also worked together at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Orange Park.

During a highly-dramatized press conference held in May 2017, Daniels sent out a warning signal for those who sell drugs in Clay County.

“For someone who would sell heroin or bring in fentanyl, and thinks that it’s OK to bring these products into Clay County, I have more disdain for them than I have the regular criminal,” Daniels said. “We’ve talked about dragging people from the gates of hell in the past, so we don’t have to do that, just get the hell out of Clay County.”

While she was not present at Daniels’ press conference, State Attorney Melissa Nelson issued a statement supporting the indictment.

“The opioid crisis is a very real and steadily growing issue that threatens the safety and well-being of our community,” said State Attorney Melissa Nelson in a prepared statement.

Shortly after the news of the indictment hit the internet, the Libertarian Reason Foundation jumped on the case.

“The sheriff’s office says this is the first time it’s ever charged someone with murder for a drug overdose. One slight problem: It’s not entirely clear under what legal authority they’ve brought this charge,” writes Scott Shackford, the associate editor at Reason.com.