Idaho Woman Pleads Guilty to Selling a Man Fentanyl Pills That Caused His Death
Victim Ingested Half of a Pill and Died
BOISE, Idaho – Jerilyn Martel Hupp, 33, of Boise, pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl in a case involving a fatality, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. Hupp sold ten fentanyl pills to a man she met online, who subsequently died after ingesting half of a pill containing illicit fentanyl.
According to court records, on August 18, 2023, the victim met Hupp at a hotel and purchased ten fentanyl pills from her. He then went back to his home, ingested half of a fentanyl pill, and died almost immediately. Coroner and pathologist reports showed a blood concentration level of 9.4 ng/ml of fentanyl and concluded the cause of death was fentanyl overdose. In fatalities from fentanyl, blood concentrations are variable and have been reported as low as 3 ng/ml.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill will sentence Hupp on April 2, 2025. The charge in this case is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and a minimum of 3 years and up to lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigations by the Nampa Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Boise Police Department, and the Meridian Police Department, which led to the charges.
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