Criminal charges that accuse a 26-year-old Palmer man of selling heroin that resulted in another man's overdose death is a reflection of the drug epidemic in Alaska and elsewhere, federal and state authorities said Thursday.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Feldis called upon the community to educate itself about heroin and take action against it.
"We'll prosecute this case and other similar cases, but we can't prosecute our way out of this," Feldis said during a news conference Thursday announcing the indictment of Hiram Luis Ducasse of Palmer.
Ducasse is the sole defendant named in a three-count indictment, charging him with distributing heroin and conspiracy. One of those charges accused Ducasse of selling heroin that resulted in the death of an individual identified in the indictment as M.C.
Feldis said prosecutors could not provide information about how law enforcement connected the sale of a half gram of heroin and the death.
Ducasse faces minimum of 20 years in prison for the death, Feldis said.
Alaska State Troopers reported in late December that Ducasse was one of three Mat-Su men arrested during a drug raid involving heroin and a supplier from California. The investigation started Dec. 1, when a family member found 22-year-old Michael Chalender dead of a heroin overdose, they said.
Two days later, law enforcement showed up at Ducasse's home with warrants. The arrest of Sawyer Gruben of Fairbanks, who was charged with a possessing 13½ grams of heroin, led troopers to the house. Ducasse was arrested and troopers seized 35 grams of heroin, a handgun and $8,200.
Gruben faces federal drug and weapon charges, according to an indictment filed Thursday. The court document alleges Gruben possessed and intended to distribute a controlled substance Dec. 2, and he used a gun to commit that crime.
Prosecutors said a federal grand jury handed up two related indictments Thursday that charge four others. The defendants are from Wasilla, Palmer and California, they said. Feldis declined to name the defendants or detail how they're connected, though he said California was the main source of heroin.
The charges against the members of the heroin ring are the latest in the ongoing efforts of state and federal law enforcement to combat the "increasing prevalence of heroin in our community," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Anchorage.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, of the approximately 47,055 unintentional drug overdose deaths that occurred nationwide in 2014, 61 percent were caused by prescription painkillers and heroin.
Feldis said Ducasse's case is the fourth time in the past few years authorities have tied a death to the sale of drugs.
"No one should be able to profit from harming others," he said.
At the news conference, Trooper Capt. Jeffrey Laughlin said holding drug dealers accountable is one way to educate people involved in the illicit trade that deaths will not be tolerated.
Trooper Col. James Cockrell said heroin and other drugs are devastating the state. Alaska's urban areas aren't the only communities being affected by alcohol, methamphetamine and heroin, he said.
Cockrell said troopers are committed to following up on drug overdose deaths. An investigation is ongoing on the Kenai Peninsula, he said.
"We're going to work on following (the deaths) to the source," Cockrell said.