Ventura man convicted of two felony counts of possession of narcotics for sale
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – The Ventura County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday that on Nov. 16, Shiloh Chenoweth of Ventura was convicted of two felony counts for possession of fentanyl for sale and possession of methamphetamine for sale.
Chenoweth also admitted to the special allegation that he had a prior serious felony offense that qualified as an existing strike under California's Three Strikes law explain Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, an officer with Ventura Police Department found Chenoweth, who was known to be a parolee at the time, to have fentanyl and methamphetamine in a box in his backpack alongside a scale and drug paraphernalia on May 24, 2022.
After further investigation, text messages on Chenoweth's phone revealed sales activity and Chenoweth admitted to making sales, but claimed he was "giving" fentanyl away and not selling it detail Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
On his sentencing date, currently scheduled for Jan. 18, 2024, Chenoweth will be given the Dangerous Drug Advisement which details if he continues to sell, provide, distribute, and furnish fentanyl or any of its alternatives, alone or mixed, and someone ingests and dies as a result, Chenoweth could then be charged with second-degree murder explain Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
“Ventura Police Officers respond to multiple fentanyl overdoses every week, often multiple overdoses a day,” said Deputy District Attorney Erin Weilbacher who prosecuted the case. “Anyone selling fentanyl is directly endangering the members of our community. I am proud to have held the defendant in this case accountable for his actions and grateful to the members of the jury who did the same.”
Fentanyl is not only addictive, but deadly.
In 2022, the Ventura County Medical Examiner reported 278 overdose deaths and fentanyl was found in 181 of those victims of overdose provide Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
For more information about fentanyl and its impact on Ventura County visit here.
Chenoweth remains in custody with bail set at $100,000 while awaiting his sentencing hearing in January of next year detail Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
