Man suspected of providing drugs leading to likely overdoses, death in Whatcom Jail identified
A 38-year-old man already incarcerated in the Whatcom County Jail is suspected of providing drugs to two other prisoners in his housing area, resulting in one man’s death and another man being taken to the hospital following suspected overdoses last week.
The Bellingham Police Department has identified the person who provided the drugs leading to the suspected overdoses as Angel Lewis Leffingwell, of Everett, according to Megan Peters, a spokesperson for Bellingham police.
Leffingwell was arrested on suspicion of controlled substance homicide and possession of a controlled substance by a prisoner, Peters said.
Leffingwell was already incarcerated in the Whatcom County Jail on unrelated charges, after he fled from deputies following a traffic stop on Chuckanut Drive in late February. Following the traffic stop, law enforcement found a ripped-open bag of methamphetamine and two blue pills suspected to be fentanyl in Leffingwell’s vehicle. They also found suspected meth on Leffingwell after he was detained, The Bellingham Herald previously reported.
Leffingwell has been incarcerated in the downtown Whatcom County Jail since Feb. 25, in lieu of $60,000 bail with a $6,000 cash alternative, according to jail and Whatcom County Superior Court records.
Twenty-eight-year-old Andre Haas was found dead in his cell in the Whatcom County Jail around 10:30 a.m. on March 13 from a suspected drug overdose. Haas’ cellmate, a 28-year-old man who has not yet been publicly identified, was taken to PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s hospital for treatment of a suspected overdose, The Herald previously reported.
The Herald has asked for an update on the current status of the man.
Leffingwell was the only inmate in the common area of the housing unit, or cellblock, in the Whatcom County Jail on Wednesday, March 13, while everyone else was in their respective cells. Leffingwell allegedly went back and forth between his cell and the cell where Haas and another man were housed, Peters, with Bellingham police, said.
Around 10:18 a.m., an uninvolved person also incarcerated in the housing unit pushed an alert to summon Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office corrections deputies. When deputies arrived, they found Haas and his cellmate unconscious and unresponsive, Peters said.
Deputies and members of the jail’s medical team attempted to use Narcan, or naloxone, and CPR to revive Haas, but were unsuccessful. Narcan is a medication used to reverse the effects of opioids, such as oxycodone, heroin and fentanyl, and is often used during suspected opioid overdoses.
Haas was pronounced dead at the jail, The Herald previously reported.
The Whatcom County Medical Examiner said it is not releasing information regarding Haas’ cause, manner or time of death at this time, according to a Monday afternoon email from Deborah Hollis, the office’s chief investigator and operations manager.
Haas’ cellmate was taken to the hospital. As of Monday, his identity had not yet been released by law enforcement.
While aid was being given to Haas and his cellmate, Leffingwell was secured, Peters, the police spokesperson, said.
Haas’ death and the circumstances surrounding how Leffingwell obtained the drugs are under investigation by the Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Response Team, or LEMART, which is a multi-jurisdictional investigation team.
Court appearance
Leffingwell is expected to be formally charged with one count of controlled substance homicide for Haas’ death, one count of violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act or VUCSA, and two counts of delivery of a counterfeit drug; all felonies, according to charges read aloud during Leffingwell’s first appearance in Whatcom County Superior Court Monday afternoon, March 18.
Whatcom County senior deputy prosecuting attorney David Graham requested Leffingwell’s bail be set at $2 million. Graham said Leffingwell was already incarcerated in the jail for an unrelated incident, but roughly a day later was found to be in possession of suspected fentanyl-laced pills. Leffingwell was then charged for that conduct, Graham said.
A little more than two weeks later, Leffingwell is alleged to have provided the drugs that led to Haas’ death and the hospitalization of another man, both of whom were in Leffingwell’s housing unit.
“This is a community safety issue that is still persisting even though the defendant has been in custody for a while,” Graham said, citing the vulnerability of the jail population.
Leffingwell’s public defense attorney, Matthew Palmer, reserved on making an argument regarding bail at Monday’s court hearing.
A Whatcom County court commissioner then set Leffingwell’s bail at $2 million. A no-contact order was also put in place between Leffingwell and the man who was taken to the hospital.
Leffingwell’s arraignment is scheduled for March 29.
This story was originally published March 18, 2024 at 10:46 AM.
