Drug dealer pleads guilty in fentanyl overdose death
SAN DIEGO – Michael Steen pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he supplied fentanyl that led to the fatal overdose of a 33-year-old Ramona, California woman on July 9, 2018.
According to his plea agreement, Steen sold more than 500 grams of what he knew to be fentanyl in 2018. He pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge F. A. Gossett III to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2020 by U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel.
“This case is an example of the DEA, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office working together with one definitive goal: To put people responsible for drug deaths in jail,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge John W. Callery. “We will continue to aggressively pursue those who deal drugs and cause death in our community.”
“This case should put dealers on notice that every time we have an overdose death, we are going to come looking for you, because many lives are at stake,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “We are using every available criminal and civil tool to combat this deadly epidemic and stop these tragic losses.”
“Sheriff's Deputies are on the front lines of combating the proliferation of illicit fentanyl,” said Sheriff’s Captain Justin White. “There are many stories of lives stolen. In this case, the victim is a young woman from Ramona who was just starting off in life. The Sheriff's Department is dedicated to working with our federal, state and local partners in holding those accountable for the distribution, supply or manufacturing of this potent painkiller.”
The DEA is working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office and our other federal, state and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute cases targeting those who supply drugs in fatal overdose cases.
For those who suffer from addiction, please know there is help. Call the Crisis line at 888-724-7240; it’s always open.
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