Nevada Man Admits to Distributing Fentanyl via Mail

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Nevada resident pleaded guilty today to the distribution of fentanyl via the U.S. Mail, which resulted in serious bodily injury after the fentanyl nearly killed a Park City, Utah resident.

According to court documents, and admissions made during his change of plea hearing, Colin Andrew Shapard, 22, of Las Vegas, Nevada, mailed a package containing numerous fentanyl pills on Feb. 1, 2022, to a Park City resident. Shapard admitted that he knew fentanyl was a controlled substance and illegal to distribute. On Feb. 10, 2022, the recipient of the package suffered serious bodily injury after he ingested the pills, which caused him to lose consciousness. The victim’s father found him unconscious and called 911. Upon arrival, emergency medical personnel administered Narcan to the victim. Narcan is a drug that reverses the effects of opioids, including fentanyl, and is effective only on opioids. The victim was hospitalized and survived. The following day, DEA agents discovered that the victim overdosed on blue M30 fentanyl pills, which were purchased from Shapard. 

The investigation also revealed that Shapard mailed opioids to Utah multiple tunes. See former press release here. 

Shepard pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance that resulted in serious bodily injury. He is scheduled to be sentenced Apr. 4, 2024, at 3:00 in courtroom 7.3 before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. 

The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Task Force Officers from the United States Postal Inspector Service (USPIS), Park City Police Department, and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

The United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.