Man Charged After Selling Fentanyl-Laced Cocaine That Killed 3: Prosecutors

A 51-year-old man in Orange County, California, has been arrested and charged after he allegedly sold fentanyl-laced cocaine that killed three people last year, federal prosecutors said.

William Edward Dick Jr., of Costa Mesa, California, was arrested Thursday and is accused of selling fentanyl-laced cocaine to two couples at a house on Balboa Island in Newport Beach in October 2021, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Central District of California.

The victims were identified as Samantha Haiman, 45, of Riverside, and Andrew Adams and Desiree Temple, both 43, of Yorba Linda, KTLA reported, citing the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

On Oct. 24, 2021, the two couples had enjoyed dinner together, and one of them decided to purchase cocaine for the group and eventually contacted Dick.

Dick allegedly agreed to sell the group $200 worth of cocaine, which he delivered to the home where the four friends were staying, according to the statement.

"After snorting the purported cocaine, all four suffered overdoses, and three of the individuals were pronounced dead at [the] house the next morning," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

"In most of the cases, the victims did not know they were ingesting fentanyl, which can be deadly in tiny amounts," it added.

Dick was charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. He was set to appear Friday afternoon before the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.

Dick was among six suspects who have been arrested in connection with several fatal overdoses around Southern California, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Friday. Another suspect is currently at large.

The suspects who were arrested include 30-year-old Costa Mesa resident Omar Alejandro Reynoso, 31-year-old Tustin resident Anthony Bernard Fender, 25-year-old Newport Beach resident Carter Joseph Klein, 23-year-old Santa Ana resident Isai Hernandez Higinio and 24-year-old Virginia resident Matthew Benjamin Hurley.

Tyler David Wilkinson, 23, of Santa Ana, is currently being sought by authorities.

Should Dick or any of the suspects be convicted, they each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, with the possibility of a sentence of life without parole.

"As we tackle the fentanyl crisis locally, we are intent on bringing justice to victims and their families, while putting drug dealers on notice that even selling one pill can have harsh federal penalties," DEA Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner said in a statement.