Amarillo Man Facing Federal Charges in Relation to Fentanyl Death

The Amarillo Police Department recently released information about a recent arrest in relation to an Amarillo local's death due to a fentanyl overdose.

On September 6th, APD officers responded to a call reporting a 31-year man who had died from an overdose. When officers arrived on the scene they found items related to fentanyl use.

The ensuing investigation by the APD Narcotics Unit confirmed that this was indeed a fentanyl overdose.

A further  APD investigation into the circumstances of the overdose revealed that a 32-year-old man, Ryan Conrad Baldauf was a suspect of interest in this case. On December 5th, APD issued a warrant for Baldauf's arrest and on December 12th he was arrested on charges of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance causing death or serious bodily injury.

Although methamphetamine is one of the most common drugs that APD has had to deal with, Fentanyl is yet another deadly drug that is becoming more and more of a problem for law enforcement.

Just 3 months ago the APD Narcotics Unit in collaboration with the DEA seized around 100,000 fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone hydrochloride. The total worth of the pills was valued at around $1.5 million by officials.

Unlike other drugs that are illegally sold with relative transparency to buyers, Fentanyl can come in many shapes or forms. It is often laced into other illegally sold drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, oxycodone, or heroin, meaning that users may not be aware of their consumption of Fentanyl.

Although the APD has made progress in stopping the distribution of fentanyl into Amarillo's streets, how much more is there to uncover? Could this just be the tip of the iceberg for law enforcement?