Dublin Teen Charged In Fentanyl Death

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA — A Dublin woman was accused of distributing the drug fentanyl to a person who subsequently died, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

Jianna Coppedge, 19, was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed in federal court, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration said in a statement.

The accusation, based on an investigation by the DEA and Dublin police, described a transaction in which Coppedge arranged the sale of "M30" pills containing fentanyl, the statement said. The person who received the drugs died of an overdose, it said.

Coppedge made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Kandis A. Westmore in U.S. District Court in Oakland. If found guilty, she faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million, authorities said.

Fentanyl can be diluted to create counterfeit versions of powerful prescription painkillers. But small variations create huge effects in potency that can cause death, according to the statement.

Fentanyl is now the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the U.S.

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