Tooele man charged with manslaughter for selling fentanyl that allegedly resulted in person’s death

TOOELE CITY, Utah (ABC4) — An alleged drug dealer has been charged with manslaughter after an individual passed away after smoking fentanyl purchased from him. The deceased person’s boyfriend reported that the pills were “stronger” than anything they had smoked before.

Dedrian Diviano Tybo Oppenhein, 26, has been charged with manslaughter and distribution of a controlled substance, both second-degree felonies.

According to court documents, on Sept. 3, the Tooele City Police Department was dispatched to investigate a death that possibly involved drugs. When an officer arrived, he allegedly located the person who had passed away, and paraphernalia consistent with the use of fentanyl was nearby.

Police interviewed the boyfriend of the person who died. He stated that he had used Facebook to arrange a purchase of fentanyl from Oppenhein. The boyfriend alleged that he and the deceased person met with Oppenhein in a parking lot and purchased three fentanyl pills for $40.

After purchasing the pills, according to the boyfriend, he and the deceased person went home and smoked some of the pills, leaving the rest for later. Documents say that when he woke up, he discovered his partner deceased on the bathroom floor, and it appeared that they had smoked the rest of the fentanyl alone.

In the interview with the police, the boyfriend allegedly stated that the pills were “stronger than any of the pills they had used in the past,” which is why they were more expensive than usual. Officers took his phone and obtained a search warrant for it.

On the phone, police located messages between the boyfriend and Oppenhein arranging the purchase, as well as messages where they had done similar arrangements before. After confirming the identity of Oppenhein, police located him and arrested him.

Oppenhein was booked into the Tooele County Jail, where he is currently being held without bail.