Marin County sheriff’s investigators have arrested a suspected drug dealer in connection with a fatal fentanyl overdose.
The sheriff’s office announced the arrest Tuesday. The suspect allegedly supplied fentanyl to two women who suffered overdoses on Aug. 26, sheriff’s Sgt. Adam Schermerhorn said.
The suspect drove the victims to the Novato Community Hospital, where one was pronounced dead and the other was placed into a medically induced coma, Schermerhorn said.
Sheriff’s investigators later determined the suspect was the fentanyl supplier who was responsible for the fatal overdose, Schermerhorn said.
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Callen Sheffler, 34, of Santa Rosa was arrested at his residence on Saturday on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and transporting or selling narcotics. He was released from the Marin County Jail after posting bail, authorities said.
Sheffler could not be reached for comment.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Last year, there were 17 confirmed fentanyl-related deaths in Marin County, said Dr. Matthew Willis, the county’s public health officer. He said his department is “working to reduce demand by educating our residents about fentanyl risks and tying substance users to treatment.”
“Hopefully, arrests like this will help dealers recognize the consequences of supplying lethal substances,” he said.