A Simi Valley man has been federally indicted in connection with a 2021 fatal overdose, following a multi-year investigation by local and federal authorities.
Michael McDevitt, 43, was arrested April 11 by members of a Ventura County fentanyl task force and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. He has been indicted on a federal charge of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, according to officials.
The case stems from a September 2021 incident in which McDevitt and an associate brought an unresponsive woman to a Ventura County Fire Department station in Simi Valley.
Life-saving measures were unsuccessful, and the woman was pronounced dead, officials said. The Ventura County Medical Examiner later determined the woman died from acute fentanyl intoxication.
Authorities searched McDevitt’s home which led to the discovery of fentanyl. In the months that followed, detectives gathered evidence, interviewed witnesses and collected surveillance footage and digital data.
Charges were eventually filed under California law that accused McDevitt of supplying the fentanyl that led to the woman’s death. He was arrested in September 2024 and later released on bail.
The case was eventually turned over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which led to a federal indictment being issued this past February, and the state charges being dismissed.
McDevitt is currently in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles. If convicted, he could face a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison.
Anyone with information about this case can submit tips by email or by calling 805-383-8700.