Laramie man sentenced for distribution of fentanyl

Tristan Chase Eickbush, 27, of Laramie, Wyoming, was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment for distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents, on March 7, 2023, Cheyenne Police Officers responded to 305 Storey Boulevard in Cheyenne for a report of a deceased person. On the premises, investigators found numerous small, round, blue pills, marked with “M” on one side and “30” on the other side. The pills resembled legitimate prescription medication, but subsequent testing showed that they were counterfeit and contained illicit fentanyl. An autopsy concluded that the deceased person died from fentanyl toxicity. The investigation revealed that Eickbush sold the decedent illicit fentanyl pills on March 3, 2023, but claimed that the pills were legitimate oxycodone pills.

Eickbush was charged with drug distribution on May 6 and pleaded guilty on May 13. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence on Aug. 1.

“This case is a stark reminder that one pill can kill, and drug dealers cannot be trusted to tell the truth about what they are selling,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Eric Heimann. “Cooperation between local, state and federal authorities enabled us to successfully prosecute this case, punish this drug dealer, and provide some measure of justice for this tragic and unnecessary overdose death.”

“The distribution of dangerous drugs has no place in our community,” said Cheyenne Police Chief Mark Francisco. “We will continue working with our state and federal partners to hold dealers accountable - every counterfeit pill we get off the street is a potential life saved.”

This crime was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Forwood.

Case No. 24-CR-00054