Dealer Sentenced to 20 Years for Role in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose of Carlsbad Woman

SAN DIEGO – Prolific drug dealer Bryan Kim Bullard, who supplied fentanyl to 25-year-old Danielle Good of Carlsbad and failed to seek help for over an hour while she lay dying of an overdose in a bathtub, was sentenced today in federal court to 20 years in prison.

“This tragic case highlights not only the defendant’s role in a young woman’s death, but also his chilling lack of humanity during her final moments,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Those who knowingly and repeatedly risk the lives of others by distributing fentanyl will face severe consequences.”

“The trafficking of fentanyl is not just a crime; it is an act of poisoning our communities, robbing families of their loved ones, and leaving behind a trail of grief and despair,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark.  “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family – no sentence can bring back their loved one, but her memory and their resilience, fuels our fight to combat this devastating crisis.”

During today’s hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Streja argued for the maximum 20-year sentence, saying Bullard showed extreme indifference and callous disregard for Danielle, whose final hours on September 9, 2023, were marked by neglect and exploitation.

Despite early signs of a medical emergency—Bullard requested Narcan at 11:17 p.m.—he did not call 9-1-1 until 12:22 a.m. and fled the scene before help arrived. During the critical delay, Bullard engaged in multiple Facebook video chats and sent disturbing messages, including a video showing the unconscious victim in the bathtub. He later referenced the incident casually in unrelated conversations, showing no remorse.

Not only did Bullard’s 9-1-1 call come more than an hour after his initial request for Narcan, but it was also nearly 40 minutes after telling a friend he was “in the middle of saving someone’s life,” and 14 minutes after sending the video..

During Bullard’s 9-1-1 call, he stated, “overdose, overdose,” and that he was calling from “…her phone…” While the dispatcher was trying to explain life saving measures, Bullard stopped talking, and the call ended.

San Diego Police officers were dispatched immediately, at approximately 12:23 a.m., to the Mission Valley apartment complex. The defendant fled the scene before police arrived.

In arguing for the statutory maximum sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Streja told the court that on the very afternoon of the day that Bullard watched Danielle overdose and left her to die, he responded to a drug customer on Facebook, confirming he had fentanyl for distribution. Bullard continued to be involved in the sale of controlled substances in the following days and months. Streja also emphasized that Bullard has an extensive criminal history, including acts of violence and narcotics-related convictions.

Streja argued that the defendant’s messages sent after watching Danielle die reflected his focus was the inconvenience her death caused him. “He has never once shown any evidence that he appreciates the fatal risk of fentanyl, that he appreciates what he did to Danielle’s family and all who loved her, or that he has any desire or capacity or wherewithal to change his behavior going forward.”

When handing down the strongest possible sentence, U.S. Chief District Judge Cynthia A. Bashant told the defendant he is “a one-man crime wave” who has been in custody for most of his adult life, and who continued to sell fentanyl despite watching Danielle die in front of him. “I’m shocked and astounded you continued to deal after causing the death of Danielle,” Judge Bashant said, agreeing with Streja’s characterization of the defendant as callous. “Nothing deters you from criminal conduct…I don’t know what else to do to protect the public.”

According to the government’s sentencing memo, Danielle was a young woman who in her short life had overcome pain, adversity, and her own trauma to bring joy and love to her family and all those around her. The victim impact statements submitted in connection with this case highlight the devastating impact of Bullard’s conduct on Danielle’s family members. They describe shattered lives and the indescribable, unrelenting pain of losing their loved one.

At the hearing, Danielle’s mother, Cheryl Good, took the podium holding an urn containing her daughter’s ashes. She described her family’s devastation at the loss of a young woman who was universally loved by all who knew her. She said Danielle had a “nurturing spirit, always caring for others,” and was an especially kind and compassionate daughter, sister, aunt, friend and volunteer who enjoyed visits with special needs children and elderly in need of companionship.

She urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence for the man “who did nothing to save my daughter’s life.” She later added: “My heart shattered when I learned that she had died alone…my grief is profound,” she said.

Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team (formerly known as Team 10) led the investigation. This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the San Diego Police Department, the La Mesa Police Department, National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and the California Department of Health Care Services to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. The Drug Enforcement Administration created the Overdose Response Team as a response to the increase in overdose deaths in San Diego County.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill S. Streja.

The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 33 HIDTAs, and HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.

DEFENDANTS                                              Case Number 24-cr-01063-BAS                             

Bryan Kim Bullard                                         Age: 44                                   San Diego, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Distribution of Fentanyl

21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison 

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Drug Enforcement Administration

San Diego Police Department

San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

Homeland Security Investigations

La Mesa Police Department

California Department of Health Care Services 

High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program