Fighting Fentanyl in Placer County

Fentanyl is now the #1 killer of 18-45 year olds, surpassing car accidents and suicides. In Placer County, we saw a 450% increase in fentanyl deaths from 2019-2021. Since taking office in 2020, Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire has made the fighting fentanyl crisis one his priorities for the office.

From participating in the “1 pill can kill Placer” campaign, to pushing public service announcements, to aggressive prosecution, to working on statewide legislation, Placer County District Attorney’s Office remains committed to fighting the fentanyl issue in the county.

“Placer County has been tragically affected by the national fentanyl epidemic. We are committed to combating this crisis with continued education and awareness efforts, extensive prevention campaigns, and aggressive prosecution of those who seek to peddle this deadly drug in our community.” -- Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire

Filing murder complaints against alleged fentanyl dealers

The Placer County District Attorney’s Office filed three criminal complaints against fentanyl dealers whose sales resulted in a death.

1) 20-year-old Carson David Schewe is currently charged with murder and possession of a controlled substance for sale, as it related to a local fentanyl-related death. ***This is the first time a defendant in Placer County has been charged with murder for a fentanyl-related death.*** Learn more

2) 20-year-old Nathaniel Cabacungan is charged of murder for a death of a 15-year old girl. Learn more

3) The Placer County District Attorney's Office amended the criminal complaint against 24-year-old Arron Dare to add the charge of murder, as it relates to a local Auburn area fentanyl death. Learn more

California legislation

Bill #	Overview	Location
AB 18	This bill would require a person who is convicted of, or who pleads guilty or no contest to, the above crimes to receive a written advisory of the danger of manufacturing or distribution of controlled substances and that, if a person dies as a result of that action, the manufacturer or distributor can be charged with voluntary manslaughter or murder. The bill would require that the fact the advisory was given be on the record and recorded on the abstract of the conviction.	Held - Assembly Public Safety
SB 44	This bill would require a person who is convicted of, or who pleads guilty or no contest to, the above crimes to receive a written advisory of the danger of manufacturing or distribution of controlled substances and that, if a person dies as a result of that action, the manufacturer or distributor can be charged with voluntary manslaughter or murder. The bill would require that the fact the advisory was given be on the record and recorded on the abstract of the conviction.	Held - Senate Public Safety
AB 19	This bill would require each individual public school operated by a school district, county office of education, or charter school to maintain at least two doses of naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist for purposes of those authorizations.	Assembly Appropriations
AB 890	This bill will require a defendant granted probation for a violation of selling narcotics involving any amount of fentanyl, carfentanil, benzimidazole opiate, or an analog thereof to complete a fentanyl and synthetic opiate education program.	Assembly Appropriations
AB 367	This bill would state that, for purposes of the enhancement, a person inflicts great bodily injury when they sell, furnish, administer, or give away a controlled substance and the person to whom the substance was sold, furnished, administered, or given suffers a significant or substantial physical injury from using the substance.	Held - Assembly Public Safety
AB 701	This bill would impose that additional term upon, and authorize a fine against, a defendant who intends to sell with respect to a substance containing fentanyl. By increasing the penalty for a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.	Assembly Appropriations
SB 10	This bill would, on or before July 1, 2024, add as a new requirement for the training programs the provision of instruction only to school staff on the use of emergency opioid antagonists for purposes of treating an opioid overdose, with the recommended training following specified standards and criteria.	Senate - Appropriations
SB 62	This bill would impose that additional term upon, and authorize a fine against, a defendant who violates those laws with respect to a substance containing fentanyl.	Held - Senate Public Safety
SB 226	This bill would additionally prohibit the possession of fentanyl while armed with a loaded and operable firearm.	Senate - Appropriations
SB 237	The bill would punish the possession, sale, or purchase for sale of fentanyl by imprisonment in a county jail for 4, 5, or 6 years, the transportation, importation, sale, furnishing, administering, or giving away of fentanyl by imprisonment in a county jail for 7, 8, or 9 years, and the trafficking of fentanyl by imprisonment in a county jail for 7, 10, or 13 years.	Held - Senate Public Safety
SB 62	This bill would impose that additional term upon, and authorize a fine against, a defendant who violates those laws with respect to a substance containing fentanyl. By increasing the penalty for a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.	Held - Senate Public Safety
AB 675	Prohibit carrying a gun while in possession of fentanyl	Assembly Appropriations
AB 955	Increase penalties for fentanyl dealers who sell on social media	Held - Assembly Public Safety
AB 1058	increase penalties for those possessing a large quantity of fentanyl	Held- Assembly Public Safety

SPEAKERS PANEL

Through the Placer County District Attorney's Office Speakers Panel -- the One Pill Can Kill campaign is taking their message directly to the schools. Partnering with local school districts, the campaign is holding forums at local schools to educate parents and students on the dangers of fentanyl. Anyone interested in hosting a forum can request a presentation here.

The District Attorney’s Office began collaborating with local school districts and families who have lost a loved one to fentanyl to bring the 1 Pill message to our local high schools. Together, we began scheduling for both student assemblies and parent information nights. Watch recordings of both students and a shortened parent presentations here.

Since the launch of this program in 2022, we have talked to over 30,000 Placer County students on the dangers of fentanyl.

“Fentanyl is one of the most critical and frightening issues affecting our communities,” said Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire. “The lethality of this synthetic drug, coupled with the blatant deceit by the dealers and the rapid spike in poisonings over the last few years, is both terrifying and heartbreaking. This epidemic is advanced, swift, and fatal – four in ten pills purchased in the online marketplace are deadly. We must continue to educate the community through the One Pill Can Kill campaign and we will continue to pursue these dealers aggressively and hold them accountable to the full extent of the law.”

1 Pill can Kill Marketing campaign

Placer Property Tax Bill Inserts

Placer DA also partnered with the Placer County Treasurer-Tax Collector and Placer County Document Solutions to print inserts to go into 175,000 tax bills in order to take the message directly to homeowners in the county.

Billboards

The campaign partnered with local cities to purchase billboards throughout Placer County.

Bus wraps

Our office sponsored 1 Pill Can Kill Placer ads on Roseville Transit buses. We will continue to look for unique opportunities to get the message of the dangers of fentanyl to as many of people as possible. Learn more at 1PillCanKillPlacer.com

Statistics

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that more than 100,000 Americans — including about 10,000 in California — died of drug overdoses during the year-long period that ended in 2021.
That’s a record high and a nearly 29% increase from the year before.
Almost 64% of deaths were caused by the synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.