Paso Robles man charged with murder in fentanyl overdose death

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - A Paso Robles man has been charged for murder in the overdose death of a 19-year-old.

Timothy Clark Wolfe, 22, of Paso Robles allegedly sold fentanyl to the victim from Atascadero.

San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow said Wolfe sold the victim three pills that appeared to be Percocet but were in fact counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is known to be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, Dow said.

The 19-year-old ingested one pill and died from a fentanyl overdose on March 9.

The charges allege that Wolfe knowingly -- or should have known -- that the pills contained fentanyl and were extremely dangerous.

“Buying and selling illicit prescription drugs on the street is deadly dangerous. While a purchaser may believe they are buying a pharmaceutical-grade painkiller, there is no way to know who made them, where they came from, or what is in them. Sadly, as happens too often, it leads to overdose and death,” Dow said. 

Wolfe has been charged for murder in the 19-year-old's death and faces additional felony charges for selling fentanyl and possession for the sale of Xanax.

“We will not tolerate the criminal distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and other hard drugs because too many young people have been dying across our country and here in our community. Individuals who knowingly sell these deadly pills in our community will be aggressively prosecuted and when the facts support it, they will be charged with murder,” Dow said.

Wolfe is scheduled to be arraigned on May 22 at San Luis Obispo Superior Court.

If you or someone you know is addicted to opioids, you are encouraged to visit the San Luis Obispo County Behavioral Health Services website or call 800-838-1381.