PLACERVILLE, Ca. (El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office) — In May of 2022, Detectives from the Western El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team began an investigation into an overdose death in the Shingle Springs area of El Dorado County. In this incident the victim ingested a counterfeit pill that she believed to be authentic. In reality this counterfeit pill contained a lethal amount of fentanyl and the victim died as a result. During the course of this investigation Detectives identified a suspect out of West Sacramento as the supplier of the lethal counterfeit pills. The suspect was initially arrested the day after the overdose at his West Sacramento residence where detectives recovered over five thousand counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, cocaine, and an illegally possessed short barreled rifle. Following an extensive investigation by Narcotics Detectives the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office obtained an arrest warrant for the suspect.
On January 23 2023, Narcotics Detectives arrested the suspect at his parent’s home in Elk Grove. The suspect was booked into the El Dorado County Jail on suspicion of second degree murder and distribution of a controlled substance to minors.
Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous drug that has been the cause of multiple local overdose deaths. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office and El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office are committed to the investigation and prosecution of those involved in the sale and distribution of fentanyl. One Pill Can Kill, and furnishing fentanyl can result in murder charges in the event of a death.
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