Michael Steen Gets 12 Years for Fentanyl Death

Michael Steen, 27, is headed to federal prison for 148 months after admitting he supplied the fentanyl that killed a 33-year-old woman in Ramona on July 9, 2018. Sentenced August 5, 2020, by Federal District Court Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel, Steen’s conviction marks another grim milestone in San Diego’s battle against the deadly opioid crisis tearing through communities.

On March 4, 2020, Steen pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, under Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1), admitting he knowingly sold more than 500 grams of fentanyl in 2018. The charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and up to life—penalties prosecutors are now wielding with full force in overdose-related cases.

U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer made it clear: the era of leniency for fentanyl dealers is over. “The current fentanyl threat requires an ‘all in’ response by law enforcement,” Brewer said. “If you are selling fentanyl, beware: as today’s sentence reflects, you will be held fully accountable for the death and destruction you selfishly cause.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge John W. Callery emphasized the agency’s commitment to locking up those who profit from poison. “One of the DEA’s goals is to put people responsible for drug deaths in federal prison,” Callery said. “Today’s sentence of Michael Steen to over 12 years in federal prison is testament to the hard work DEA and our outstanding law enforcement partners put into this investigation.”

Local enforcement echoed the federal stance. Sheriff’s Narcotic and Gang Division Captain Dan Brislin stated, “The Sheriff’s Department will continue to conduct thorough and collaborative fentanyl death investigations, ensuring traffickers and dealers are held accountable for a crime that costs lives and negatively impacts the community as a whole.”

The case was a joint effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Brewer specifically praised prosecutor David Finn and the investigative work of DEA and Sheriff’s agents. For those struggling with addiction, help is available 24/7 at the Crisis Line: 888-724-7240.