Fentanyl-laced pill sale that led to man’s death results in 80-month sentence

OAKLAND – A 28-year-old San Jose man was sentenced Tuesday to more than six years in federal prison for selling fentanyl-laced pills to an Ohio resident who took one after being told it did not contain the deadly drug and died, according to prosecutors.

In addition to an 80-month prison term, Ian Edward Parrish was ordered to serve three years of supervision following his release from prison, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.

Parrish previously pleaded guilty to one count of distributing fentanyl, according to prosecutors. In his plea agreement, he admitted that on Aug. 16, 2002, he sold four loose pills to the victim in a Fremont bar.

Prosecutors said two of the pills were counterfeit “M30” pills that were blue and had the appearance of “Perc30,” a common prescription painkiller that contains Percocet.

The victim asked Parrish if the pills were genuine and Parrish assured him that they were, according to prosecutors. A test of the remaining “M30” pill found it contained fentanyl.

After he purchased the pills, the victim left the bar and consumed one. Less than 20 minutes later, he began to sway and lose balance, and then lost consciousness. The married father of six was pronounced dead at the scene. The Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau determined his cause of death to be acute fentanyl and ethanol intoxication.

In a letter to the court, Parrish admitted to being a drug addict and apologized to the victim’s family.

“There is not a day I do not regret it,” Parrish said. “I will continue to live with this every day for the rest of my life. The days I wake up hating myself are many and I live the worst possible nightmares and truly feel horrible for causing all this pain.”

Parrish was remanded to custody after the sentencing hearing and began serving his prison sentence.