PRESS RELEASE

Friday Harbor Man Arrested for Involvement in Synthetic Opioid Overdose Case

August 21, 2019, ANACORTES, WA

Anacortes Police Detectives arrested a 23-year old Friday Harbor man after an exhaustive Controlled Substance Homicide investigation that began in February. On February 4, a man called police after discovering that his friend uncharacteristically did not show up for work. The caller had gone to his friend’s home and found him unresponsive. An APD Detective was called to the scene after a patrol officer recently trained in controlled substance homicide investigations recognized the need for thorough processing of the scene, including suspected fentanyl pills located in the residence.  

Counterfeit pills manufactured in clandestine labs are very difficult to distinguish from pharmaceutical grade pills and often contain the deadly synthetic opioid known as fentanyl. Fentanyl is as much as 100 times stronger than morphine. The Drug Enforcement Administration asserts that many users believe they are purchasing or ingesting heroin and do not know that they are ingesting fentanyl, which often results in overdose deaths.

The suspect was booked in the Skagit County Community Justice Center on Monday evening on an investigative hold for Controlled Substances Homicide. Controlled substances homicide, a class B felony, pertains to cases where a person unlawfully delivers a controlled substance that is subsequently used by the person to whom it is delivered, resulting in the death of the user (RCW 69.50.415). Superior Court Judge Needy set bail at $150,000 at the suspect’s court appearance on Tuesday afternoon.

Reference APD Case #19-A00781.

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