A Long Beach man was convicted on Friday for distributing fentanyl-laced cocaine that resulted in the same-day overdose deaths in Orange County of two people who were engaged to be married.
Stephen Johnson, 43, was found guilty Jan. 30 by a Los Angeles federal court jury of two counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and two counts of distribution of cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20th.
According to evidence presented at the four-day trial, the victims paid Johnson $240 on the night of May 24, 2023, and in exchange, he twice gave them cocaine. The victims then attended a concert in West Hollywood before returning to Johnson’s home about 3 a.m. on May 25, 2023, to pick up the remainder of their cocaine — which contained fentanyl.
The victims then returned to their residence in Brea, where they consumed the narcotics and suffered fatal overdoses.
Johnson will face between 20 years and life in federal prison, prosecutors said.