Home / Crime and Justice / Fentanyl Dealer Gets 17 Years for Two Overdose Deaths
Fentanyl Dealer Gets 17 Years for Two Overdose Deaths
23 May
Summary
- Keith Gustafson sentenced to over 17 years for supplying fentanyl.
- Two young men died from fentanyl poisoning in 2022 and 2023.
- Gustafson ordered to pay $10,000 restitution to each family.
Keith Gustafson received a sentence of more than 17 years in prison for his role in supplying fentanyl, which resulted in the overdose deaths of two young men. The sentencing occurred more than three years after his arrest in Murrieta in 2023, during which law enforcement found firearms, cocaine, and fentanyl.
The first victim, Marcell Butler, died in November 2022 after consuming fentanyl provided by Gustafson. Prosecutors indicated that Gustafson did not offer assistance when the victim showed signs of distress. Approximately two months later, in January 2023, Ryan Diaz also died after ingesting fentanyl-laced cocaine allegedly sold by Gustafson.
During the sentencing hearing, the victims' families delivered emotional impact statements in a Riverside County federal courtroom. They spoke about the profound loss, including missed milestones and future family aspirations. The investigation was led by Master Investigator Mike Cornett of the RSO's Overdose Detective Narcotics Investigators Unit. Gustafson was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to each of the victims' families.
