Marine died of overdose

A 25-year-old Marine corporal found dead in his barracks at Camp Pendleton last year died of a fentanyl overdose, and federal prosecutors are seeking to hold responsible the man they say sold him the drugs.

Kyle Anthony Shephard, 25, of San Marcos is charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, according to a complaint unsealed in San Diego federal court Friday.

It is the third such federal prosecution here in recent months targeting dealers in overdoses, part of a push to help stem the tide of deaths from the nation’s opioid crisis.

Phone records show Shephard and the Marine, who is not named in court records, were first introduced in November 2016 and spent the next three months arranging several drug sales, the complaint says. The dangers of fentanyl — an extremely potent synthetic heroin — were discussed in their conversations, with Shephard acknowledging the drug could result in an overdose, authorities said.

About a day before the Marine’s death, Shephard sold him four fentanyl pills for $100, text messages show, according to the complaint.

In many cases, fentanyl is secretly laced into other illicit drugs, notably counterfeit oxycodone pills. Users have no idea what they are taking.

The messages show in this instance that the victim knew he was buying fentanyl, according to court records.