Yakima, WA – In a tragic case of a child’s life lost to fentanyl, a federal court handed down sentences to two individuals responsible.
Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Samantha Marie Tainewasher, age 39, from Wapato, Washington, to time served on one count of Involuntary Manslaughter. Her codefendant, Calvin James Hunt, age 52, from Toppenish, Washington, received 24 months in federal prison on one count of Involuntary Manslaughter, one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, and one count of Use of a Communications Facility in the Commission of a Drug Felony.
According to court documents, on March 29, 2020, Yakama Nation Police received a report of an unresponsive 15-month-old child at Tainewasher’s residence in Wapato. When officers arrived, Tainewasher was seen running towards them with her son in her arms. The child was pronounced deceased at the hospital after a toxicology report revealed he had ingested fentanyl.
The investigation led the FBI to seize Hunt’s phone, which contained a video recorded on March 27, showing Tainewasher’s home. The video included methamphetamine, a fentanyl-laced pill, and drug paraphernalia. Additionally, Facebook records revealed that Hunt and Tainewasher engaged in buying and selling heroin, methamphetamine, and pills, while Tainewasher made posts acknowledging her addiction and use of drugs led to her son’s death.
‘This case is incredibly tragic and heartbreaking. A 15-month-old child, whose parents are members of the Yakama Nation, ingested a deadly amount of fentanyl while in the care of his mother, who was just a few feet away,’ stated Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Both defendants will receive 3 years of federal supervision upon their release. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Ellis and Timothy J. Ohms.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|
- Source: Official Source ↗
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