Riverside County man charged with distributing fentanyl to teen who died
A Riverside County man has been charged in a federal indictment alleging he sold a 17-year-old boy fentanyl, which resulted in the teenager's fatal overdose the following day, officials announced today.
Kyle Thomas Overby, 22, of Temecula, was arrested Friday and arraigned that day on the nine-count indictment, which a federal grand jury returned on Aug. 9. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and a bond of $750,000 was set, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Overby is charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl to a person under the age of 21 resulting in death, seven counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of knowingly possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
According to the indictment, on May 4, Overby "knowingly and intentionally" distributed fentanyl to the victim -- identified in court documents as L.B. The following day, L.B. died after ingesting the powerful opioid.
Overby allegedly also possessed with the intent to distribute multiple controlled substances, including 201 grams of fentanyl, nearly 2.2 pounds of cocaine, MDMA and alprazolam -- also known by its brand name, Xanax, prosecutors say.
On June 5, Overby allegedly possessed multiple firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Specifically, he is charged with possessing three firearms lacking serial numbers, commonly referred to as ghost guns -- a 9mm pistol and two .40-caliber pistols, according to court papers.
An Oct. 2 trial date in Riverside federal court has been scheduled.
If convicted as charged, Overby would face a sentence between 25 years and life in federal prison, prosecutors said.
