Lompoc man found guilty of felony distributing fentanyl that resulted in death of fellow inmate

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Kaelen Jacobkeali Wendel of Lompoc was found guilty of one felony count of distribution of fentanyl that resulted in the death of a fellow inmate at Santa Barbara County Jail in October of 2022.

The felony count carries a 20-year mandatory minimum sentence with the potential for a life sentence state the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.

Evidence presented during Wendel's five-day trial showed that he smuggled fentanyl into a unit of Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail and packaged the opioid in candy containers detail the U.S. Attorney's Office.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Wendel gave some fentanyl to his co-defendant Micheal Villapania with the expectation that he would receive jail commissary goods.

Villapania sold the opioids to an inmate identified in court documents as J.V. and J.V. shared the fentanyl with another inmate identified as E.E. in court documents explain the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Early on the morning of Oct. 20, 2022, E.E. and J.V. ingested the fentanyl and overdosed detail the U.S. Attorney's Office.

After an inmate alerted a custody deputy of the overdoses, deputies and nurses administered multiple doses of Narcan and performed CPR on both inmates explain the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Those life-saving efforts successfully revived J.V., but E.E. died state the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Villapania plead guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl and his sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jun. 7 where he faces up to 20 years in federal prison explain the U.S. Attorney's Office.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Wendell is currently scheduled for his sentencing on Jun. 21.