A federal judge sentenced a Birmingham man to 20 years in prison for selling heroin last year that caused the death of a Cullman man and seriously injured another.

Michael Dewayne “Big Boi” Johnson, 32, pleaded guilty to distributing heroin in Jefferson County on July 28, 2016, that killed a 31-year-old Cullman man. Johnson also pleaded guilty to distributing heroin the same day that caused serious bodily injury to a then 18-year-old Cullman man who overdosed from using the drug. Officials did not release the two Cullman men’s names.

According to court records, when Johnson distributed the heroin to the victims, he told them, “Be careful, this (expletive) will kill you.”

Johnson also pleaded guilty to distributing heroin in Jefferson County on Aug. 3, 2016. U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala sentenced Johnson to 20 years in prison on all the charges, in accordance with the binding plea agreement he reached with the government.

“This strong sentence cannot remove the victims’ suffering,” said U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town in a press release Thursday. “But it sends a strong message to every drug dealer that they will be severely punished for the lethal harm their drugs do to others.”

“The abuse of heroin is a serious problem in our communities. All too often, this abuse leads to addiction, shattered lives, and even death,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bret Hamilton in a press release.

“The lengthy sentencing for this individual is a message to criminals that we take drug trafficking very seriously in the Northern District of Alabama. The DEA will continue working with our law enforcement partners and pursue those who threaten our communities with the distribution of heroin and other illegal and dangerous drugs.”

DEA investigated the case, which the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama is prosecuting.