Federal prosecutors in San Diego have charged two men in the death of a woman who overdosed and died on fentanyl-laced heroin three months ago.
Tony Davis, 63, and Travis Ray Ballou, 40, were charged this week with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors allege that Ballou provided heroin to a National City woman who overdosed and went to the hospital on Oct. 23. The woman was revived with Narcan, an antidote used to reverse opioid overdose. She then allegedly contacted Ballou and requested additional heroin the next day, telling him about her overdose.
It was on Oct. 24 that the victim, identified in court documents as J.C.G., overdosed and died.
In the criminal complaint, prosecutors claim Ballou contacted Davis and informed him that the heroin he allegedly received from Davis was laced with fentanyl.
“This chic I sold a 10$ sac to. Over dosed last night bro they had to give her narc an. And they found fetanal in system. So your stuff def has fetnal in it,” was a text message shared between the defendants.
Investigators said the San Diego County Medical Examiner confirmed the woman’s cause of death was a fentanyl and heroin overdose.
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“As the opioid epidemic continues to rage across the nation, we are committed to doing everything we can to save lives,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “That includes investigating overdose deaths as homicides and pursuing charges against dealers of the poison that is killing people every single day in this country.”
Deaths caused by fentanyl analogs more than doubled in San Diego County in 2017, rising from 33 to 84, prosecutors said in a news release.
If the defendants are convicted they face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison up to life in prison.
