A 21-year-old Summit County man was arrested last week on homicide charges stemming from accusations that he supplied a mixture of cocaine and the powerful opiate fentanyl to two men who died within hours of each other in September.
Christopher Malcolm was taken into custody Thursday on a warrant for criminally negligent homicide and unlawful distribution, manufacturing, and dispensing or sale of controlled substances, .
Malcolm could face up to eight years in prison, the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said.
Authorities say the two men who died on Sept. 26 in separate instances had lethal doses of fentanyl or cocaine in their blood streams. Fentanyl is considered 40 to 50 times stronger than heroin.
“The prosecution of drug suppliers whose actions result in the death of users continues to be a high priority for this office,” District Attorney Bruce Brown said in a statement. “The Summit County Sheriff’s office performed this, a complex and difficult investigation, with great expertise and compassion.”
Brown’s office is also is the process for assisting and supplying fentanyl to Mark Largay, who authorities say overdosed on the drug in November.
Malcolm posted $5,000 bond and has been released. He is due back in court in July.
