Rural USA has been hit hard by fentanyl’s “Fourth Wave”, and White Pine County is not exempt. Overdoses from heroin have been replaced by overdoses from fentanyl, and the latest “wave” involves combining fentanyl mainly with methamphetamine or cocaine; but not always. Fentanyl is now the #1 killer of 18-45 year olds, surpassing car accidents and suicides.
In January, 2024 White Pine County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 emergency call made from the Highland Apartments. The caller stated that a male subject was not breathing. The responding deputies pronounced the male, Joseph Sandoval Jr. age 32, deceased on the scene. Investigation at the scene led to the finding of several small round blue pills marked with the number 30, which tested positive as fentanyl. On the streets these pills are known as “blues”, or “dirty 30’s”, and are considered poisonous. Mr. Sandoval’s autopsy showed the cause of death to be combined drug toxicity.
During the investigation, it is alleged that the fentanyl pills were provided to Sandoval by David Lee Sandy-Brown and a female who was present during the exchange by the name of Charlee Christine Stones, both of Ely, NV. A search warrant was issued for the vehicle used in that exchange, which revealed several of the same type of pills found on the scene, and were identified as being fentanyl.
On April 16th arrest warrants were issued out of Ely, NV Justice Court for David Lee Sandy-Brown for MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE, making available a controlled substance which causes death, and the sale of a controlled substance.
Charlee Christine Stones is being charged with AIDING AND ABETTING MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE, making available a controlled substance which causes death, and aiding and abetting the sale of a controlled substance. It is believed that Sandy-Brown and Stones have fled the area, and are currently wanted by law enforcement. If anyone knows their whereabouts please contact your local law enforcement agency.
Second-degree murder is classified as a Category A felony in Nevada, carrying severe penalties upon conviction. The key elements that differentiate second-degree murder from other degrees of murder – Without premeditation: this means that the killing was carried out on an impulse without prior planning or thought. The second element of Second-degree Murder involves extreme recklessness on the part of the accused, which resulted in the death of another person. There are two outcomes one can expect if convicted of a Category A felony: 25 years in prison OR life in prison with possibility of parole after 10 Years.
It’s not only prescription opiates that are killing people in Ely, or causing od’s, but also fentanyl for the years 2023-24! Fentanyl followed by meth are the top two illicit drugs available to users in White Pine County, and the two individuals that have been accused are far from the only dealers in our small community. You can be a full-fledged addict, or a recreational user; both are playing Russian Roulette every time they choose to smoke, snort, ingest, or inject these deadly drugs. We have officially been pushed by the endless drug supply to the most dangerous chemicals that are available. For example: that same bag or pill that users have been buying for the last several weeks can now be from a different place, a different supplier, and at a different potency.
Drug dealers have found fentanyl and meth to be the easiest, and most lucrative product to sell. One can purchase a “blue dirty 30” in a city for approximately $2 a pill, and turn-around and sell that pill in rural areas such as Ely for $12-15 per pill. The majority of fentanyl is being trafficked-in, but local dealers are also traveling to neighboring cities to bring the poison back to our community. No one is exempt from the drug’s powerful grip, and addiction does not discriminate. “JUST SAY NO” was laughed at when Nancy Reagan coined that phrase, but in today’s world that seems to be the only way one can dodge the lure for that euphoric high. Fentenyl, and all other illegal substances brings nothing but a lifetime of heartbreak, ruined lives, and torn families. Narcotics Anonymous acronym still holds true; jails, institutions, or death!
This will be White Pine County District Attorney James Beecher’s first case charging drug “dealer(s)” with murder by providing/selling fentanyl that caused death. Mr. Beecher’s decision to do so is appropriate as more and more district attorneys across the nation are making fighting the fentanyl crisis their top priorities. The approximate number of deaths in White Pine County by fentanyl in 2023 and 2024 is estimated at 3-4, and that’s 3-4 too many!
We see addicts being arrested and ordered to attend and pay for Ely’s Drug Court, but where are the busts and arrests for the LOCAL DEALERS’ who sell these deadly, drugs to the addicts?
Our small community is being tragically affected by the national fentanyl epidemic, and the Nevada Dept. of Investigations (NDI) must be committed to combating this crisis starting at home with the local “dealers” first! Education and awareness efforts along with aggressive prosecution of those who seek to peddle this deadly drug in our community is key. Local dealers must know that no more time will be wasted on busting their suppliers, but the focus will now be on them!
Nowhere in this article was there a mention or a link to resources for addicts to get medically assisted treatment. Why? Because rural nevada does not have methadone clinics or access to one. An addict will accept help if you promise them they wont have to go through the horrible withdrawals. Treatment should not only be available at clinics in big cities the drugs are everywhere and affect all walks of life. Since10/26/96 treatment saved my life and allowed me to be a benefit to society, many things need to change to address drug addiction I had to tell my sons to not take candy from kids at their highschool because fentanyl is being made to look like candy now. Access to treatment and teaching our kids at an early age that pharmaceuticals are not a fix for everything. They grow up watching parents take pills for everything, headache pop some tylenol, cramps pop some mydol feeling sad go get some antidepressants anxious they have a pill for that. I have gone 90% all natural remedies there is a place for pharmaceuticals but they are widely over prescribed when lifestyle, nutrition changes and herbal remedies could cure many of the problems. Parents need to be more involved and actually parent their kids, doctors need to quit offering a pill for everything and for those already opiate addicts there needs to be access to treatment through rural Nevada. If you want to see how hard it is pretend u are trying to find a methadone clinic in your town they are inly in Reno, Sparks, Carson City and Vegas. They only take new patients on Tues and Thurs. no appointments they take 1 person only first one there gets spot. So you have to go and sit outside at like 2AM to ensure you are first when they open at 6AM and they are in pretty bad neighborhoods. It should not be that difficult to get help!!!