A Dakota County judge sentenced a 27-year-old man from Albert Lea, Minn., to almost five years in prison Friday for his role in an overdose death last year in South St. Paul.

Dustin C. Chenevert will serve up to 58 months in prison for his connection to the death of Colton J. Poplow, 18, of Albert Lea. Chenevert pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter in the second degree.

On Feb. 28, 2015, police responded to a call of a man not breathing in a South St. Paul hotel room. Paramedics found Poplow dead at the scene.

Poplow's family had traveled to South St. Paul for a sporting event. Poplow's father, who found his son not breathing, was in the room with him and Poplow's friend when police arrived.

Investigators spoke with Poplow's friend, who said Poplow had bought five Dilaudid pills and six methadone pills from Chenevert, who went by the name Dusto Busto.

On the night before his death, Poplow had taken two methadone pills, according to a criminal complaint. He swallowed the pills out of fear that police were checking the hotel for drugs after he witnessed a commotion involving officers outside of his room.

The Hennepin County medical examiner determined that Poplow had died of a methadone overdose.

In March 2015, investigators searched Chenevert's home in Albert Lea. Chenevert told authorities that his mother had prescriptions for both Dilaudid and methadone. When investigators spoke with Chenevert's mother, she revealed that months earlier she had noticed that 150 of her methadone pills were missing.

Investigators then checked her most recent methadone pill bottle and found that 74 pills were missing.

Chenevert told investigators he knew Poplow but denied selling him the drugs.

Beatrice Dupuy • 612-673-1707