Park River Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Analogue Resulting in Death
FARGO - U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers announced that on July 31, 2017, Zachary David Chyle, age 26, Parker River, ND, was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson to serve 15 years in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute and Distribution of a Controlled Substance Analogue Resulting in Death, and a second count of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Analogue Resulting in Death. Judge Erickson also sentenced Chyle to five years of supervised release, ordered him to pay a $200 special assessment to the Crime Victims Fund, and a Restitution of $7894.58.
Chyle admitted that he provided Mr. Eugene D. Mecham, age 30, of Grafton, ND Furanyl Fentanyl that resulted in the Aug. 26, 2016, overdose death of Mecham. Mecham was discovered by his father in the basement of his parents’ Grafton home, dead of an apparent drug overdose. An autopsy revealed the cause of death as sudden and unexpected death associated with furanyl fentanyl intoxication and a blood toxicological analysis was positive for this analogue drug. An investigation revealed Chyle had introduced Mecham to the opioid and later acquired more through the DarkNet, which Chyle prepared and provided to Mecham.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security; North Dakota Bureau of Investigation and Crime Lab; Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force; Walsh County Sheriff’s Office and State’s Attorney; and the Grafton Police Department, with forensic and autopsy assistance from the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences Department of Pathology.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jake Rodenbiker.
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nd
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
