For the first time, Placer County DA files murder charges in fentanyl death arrest
Placer County prosecutors for the first time have filed murder charges against a defendant accused of selling the synthetic opioid fentanyl to a person who later died.
Carson David Schewe, 20, faces charges of murder and possession of a controlled substance for sale in connection with the victim’s overdose death in Roseville, the Placer County District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release Tuesday afternoon. Prosecutors did not release the name or age of the person who died after consuming the fentanyl.
Schewe appeared in Placer Superior Court Tuesday afternoon. His arraignment was postponed until Feb. 22. Prosecutors said the court appointed the Placer County Public Defender’s Office to represent Schewe, who remained in custody at the Placer County Jail where he was being held without bail.
Prosecutors allege Schewe on Dec. 3 sold fentanyl to the victim who later died. The Roseville Police Department and the Placer County Special Investigations Unit investigated the death and arrested Schewe on Feb. 10.
“Placer County has been tragically affected by the national fentanyl epidemic,” District Attorney Morgan Gire said in the news release. “We are committed to combating this crisis with continued education and awareness efforts, extensive prevention campaigns and aggressive prosecution of those who seek to peddle this deadly drug in our community.”
Schewe was arrested last week after “an extensive investigation into his operation,” Roseville police said in a news release Wednesday. Police said detectives seized more than $100,000 in cash, an unregistered handgun and suspected fentanyl-laced pills as the result of the investigation.
This narcotics investigation continues, and detectives believe there will be additional drug-related arrests, according to the Police Department.
“Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid that is often added to counterfeit drugs, usually packaged in pill form as oxycodone or Percocet,” Roseville police officials wrote in the news release. “When produced illicitly, outside of a pharmacy, there’s no control mechanism in place to assure quality control. The risk of ingesting a counterfeit pill can have deadly consequences.”
This story was originally published February 15, 2022 at 5:28 PM.
