Skagit man charged with homicide in fentanyl pill death

Published 1:30 am Sunday, November 4, 2018

Associated Press

MOUNT VERNON — A Mount Vernon man has been charged with controlled substance homicide after police say he sold pills laced with fentanyl that caused the death of a 27-year-old man.

The Skagit Valley Herald reported that 25-year-old John Mendieta was charged Friday following a nearly six-month investigation by Mount Vernon police.

The Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said Ronald Schweigert of Mount Vernon died May 11 after reportedly purchasing what he thought were Percocet pills but were in fact pills laced with fentanyl.

The Skagit County Coroner’s Office said Schweigert died of fentanyl and ethanol intoxication.

Documents state that police found text messages between the two men about drug transactions the previous day.

Mendieta was jailed on $250,000 bail. It wasn’t immediately known if he had an attorney.