Colorado man sentenced to twenty years in prison after mailing fentanyl that caused deadly overdose in Texas
Alpine, Texas – A 54-year-old Colorado man has been sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl to a resident in Texas who later died from an overdose.
Douglas Christopher Steele of Denver, was sentenced in federal court in Alpine, Texas, after pleading guilty to two felony counts related to fentanyl distribution. According to court documents, the drug deal began on January 29, 2024, when Steele engaged in a text message conversation with a man living in Alpine. The two arranged for Steele to send 20 fentanyl pills to the man’s place of work.
On February 2, Steele notified the man that he had mailed the fentanyl. The delivery was received three days later, on February 5, by one of the man’s co-workers via FedEx. Text messages between Steele and the man continued, including discussions about how powerful the pills were.
Just after midnight on February 6, the man texted Steele, saying that he had nearly overdosed. Tragically, later that morning, the man was found unresponsive in the restroom at his workplace. Despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Law Enforcement Traced Evidence to Colorado
A joint investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division (TX DPS CID) uncovered key pieces of evidence. Investigators found mailing envelopes at the man’s home that had originated from Steele’s Colorado residence. Further analysis of the victim’s phone confirmed the incriminating conversations between the two men.
Steele was formally indicted on May 9, 2024, in Pecos and arrested two days later in Denver. He entered a guilty plea on November 18, 2024.
The investigation was carried out with assistance from the Alpine Police Department, Brewster County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
