Two charged after Bellingham teen dies after taking fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills
Two Skagit County residents are suspected of selling fake oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl in Whatcom and Skagit counties that led to the overdose death of a 17-year-old Bellingham boy in November.
Mount Vernon resident Rosaliana Lopez-Rodriguez, 21, and her alleged supplier, Jiovanni Alejandro Nunez, 21, were charged with possession of narcotics with intent to distribute in U.S. District Court in Seattle for their suspected roles in a drug distribution ring, according to a U.S. Department of Justice release Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Lopez-Rodriguez was arrested last week, while the investigation to track down the alleged source of the tainted pills led to Nunez’s arrest Tuesday, Dec. 3.
“Getting these tainted pills off the street are a top priority for law enforcement,” U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran said in the release. “It is heartbreaking to meet with the families of these overdose victims who lost their children to fentanyl. We will hold those spreading these poisons accountable.”
On Nov. 9, a family member found the 17-year-old, who was not named in the release, unresponsive and emergency responders could not revive him.
Investigators found a whole and a partial pill near the young man, the release said, and the pills were designed to look like oxycodone 30 mg pills with “M” and “30” stamped on them.
The pills were tainted with fentanyl, the release said, similar to pills that have been linked to other overdose deaths in the region.
The investigation identified Lopez-Rodriguez as the person who supplied the young man with the pills, the release said. In an effort to find her source, law enforcement used undercover officers and confidential sources to reportedly purchase pills and identify Nunez as Lopez-Rodriguez’s supplier.
After obtaining a search warrant, the release said law enforcement located a safe with hundreds of fake oxycodone pills matching the appearance of the fentanyl-laced pills in Nunez’s residence.
“The recent overdose death associated with counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl highlights the growing impact of the opioid crisis,” Whatcom County Undersheriff Doug Chadwick said in the release. “The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force will continue to aggressively investigate those that bring these drugs into our communities.”
Lopez-Rodriguez and Nunez remain in custody, the release said, and, if convicted of the charge of possession of narcotics with intent to distribute, each could face up to 20 years in prison.
In addition to the Sheriff’s Office and the Whatcom County Drug and Gang Task Force, the DEA, Bellingham Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations were involved in the investigation, the release said.
This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 6:11 PM.
CORRECTION: The spelling of Jiovanni Nunez’s name was corrected on June 29, 2021.
