California opioid overdose deaths three times higher than fentanyl, federal prosecutors say

A Santa Clarita man was charged this week in what federal prosecutors believe is the country’s first death from a synthetic opioid that is three times stronger than fentanyl.

Benjamin Anthony Collins, 21, is being held without bond for allegedly selling protonitazen tablets to a 22-year-old Stevenson Ranch man, the US attorney’s office said in a statement. The deceased died shortly after taking the pills and was found by his mother outside his home in the front seat of his car.

Collins is charged with distribution of protonitazen resulting in death and, if convicted, faces a minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. He was arrested a month after the victim’s death, and investigators found dozens of other drugs in his car, including ketamine, according to court records.

Collins had a long history of dealing drugs, prosecutors said. “After this incident — and after learning that his pills killed the victim — Collins continues to sell drugs openly and professionally and advertises his drug-dealing services on Instagram live video,” according to court records.

Hours before her death, the victim called Collins asking for Percocet pills – Collins sold her five oxycodone pills for $20 each, investigators said. In documents before the deal, they discussed recent deaths caused by fake or laced pills, court records show:

“I need a real Perc’s toe…. Cuz my boy just died…. I’m getting worried,” said the victim in one message. Collins replied, “yeah bro the same as my best friend bro.” He just died 3 days ago. Fake pills.” Collins then said, “those fake Percs get you . . I test all my own [expletive] … always negative.”

Collins admitted to investigators that he sold drugs for money and knew about the victim’s death.

Protonitazene, which is reportedly three times stronger than the synthetic opioid fentanyl, has been sold online in recent years, according to a release from the U.S. attorney’s office. The Drug Enforcement Administration issued a notice of intent to add protonitazene and another emerging “nitazene” drug to the Controlled Substances Act as Schedule I drugs only two months ago.

Protonitazene is “a ‘nitazene,’ a class of opioids developed in the 1950s as a morphine substitute that was so potent that the FDA refused to approve its use,” according to court documents.

A federal complaint from the Southern District of New York charged two men with distributing fentanyl mixed with protonitazene to a secret source working with law enforcement in April. There are no deaths related to that case.