COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho - Antoinne James Holmes, 23, of Cusick, Washington, was sentenced to more
than 12 years in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and
death. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Holmes to 151 months in prison and ordered that he pay $3,270 in restitution. Upon completion of his prison time, Holmes was ordered to serve an additional three years of supervised release.
On Aug. 28, 2020, 16-year-old G.D. was found unconscious in his bedroom at his father’s home
in Sandpoint, Idaho. He died, despite attempts to revive him by family and medical personnel. The
coroner determined G.D. died of a fentanyl overdose; a toxicology report and autopsy showed that
G.D. had a lethal dose of fentanyl in his system at the time of his death.
The case was investigated by the Sandpoint Police Department, Idaho State Police, and the DEA
Drug Task Force in Coeur d’Alene. Officers began an immediate investigation into the death and
learned G.D. had met with Holmes during the early morning hours of Aug. 28, 2022, near Old
Town, Idaho. Holmes sold G.D. pills containing fentanyl. It was one of these pills that eventually
killed G.D. Based upon the evidence it appears that G.D. immediately lost consciousness after
consuming the pill.
“Unfortunately, this is another tragic example that One Pill Can Kill," said Jacob D. Galvan,
Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division. “We will continue to work
with all our state, local, and federal partners to hold accountable individuals like Mr. Holmes and
ensure we keep our communities safe and healthy."
“This tragic case illustrates that fentanyl can be an instant killer," said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “We
must do all we can to rid our communities of this poison, and I know our federal, state, and local
partners are dedicated to this mission. Prevention is also critical, and so we must all spread the
word about this extremely addictive and deadly drug. This is truly about saving lives."
As part of their investigation, officers learned that Holmes had been selling fentanyl-laced pills for
several months prior to G.D.’s death. Idaho and other states have seen a massive influx of
counterfeit pills in the last several years. The pills are mass-produced by criminal drug networks
and falsely marketed as legitimate prescription pills. The pills are made to look like prescription
opioids such as oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and alprazolam
(Xanax); or stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall).
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine. Pharmaceutical fentanyl
was developed for severe pain management and prescribed in the form of transdermal patches or
lozenges. While prescription fentanyl can be diverted for misuse, most cases of fentanyl-related
overdoses in the U.S. are linked to illegally made fentanyl that is sold through illicit drug markets
for its heroin-like effect.
Counterfeit pills are becoming more and more common place. The U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) and its law enforcement partners seized nationally more than 10.2 million
fentanyl pills and approximately 980 pounds of fentanyl powder during the period of May 23, 2022
through Sept 8, 2022. Despite law enforcement efforts to educate the public and stop the flow of
these illegal drugs, the number of overdose deaths related to these pills continues to rise. For more
information regarding this concerning trend please visit: https://www.dea.gov/OnePill.
