Beaverton Man Sentenced to 41 Months for Fatal Fentanyl Overdose

A Beaverton man was sentenced to federal prison today for distributing fentanyl that caused the fatal overdose of a local man.

Billy Ray Trueblood II, 33, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, in early March 2019, investigators from the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN) responded to a fatal overdose of a local man in his early thirties who was found unresponsive by his roommates.

An autopsy by the Oregon State Crime Lab later confirmed the man died of an acute fentanyl overdose.

Further investigation revealed that the victim became addicted to opioids after using prescription pain killers in college to deal with athletic injuries.

Investigators also learned the victim had been purchasing drugs from Trueblood since college and had recently exchanged text messages with him to arrange the purchase of “blues,” a term used to describe counterfeit Oxycodone pills manufactured with fentanyl.

On November 10, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Trueblood with distributing fentanyl, distributing fentanyl resulting in death, and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.

This case was investigated by WIN and the FBI.

It was prosecuted by Lewis S. Burkhart, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

WIN is a Washington County, Oregon-based multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program that includes members from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Beaverton and Hillsboro Police Departments, Oregon National Guard Counter Drug Program, FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The investigation into the fatal overdose of the local man was a collaborative effort between WIN and the FBI, which ultimately led to the arrest and prosecution of Trueblood.

This case serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of fentanyl trafficking and the importance of holding individuals accountable for their role in contributing to the opioid epidemic.

The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program continues to work tirelessly to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations in the region.

Trueblood’s sentence is a significant step towards justice for the victim and their loved ones.