LOS ANGELES
A Long Beach man was convicted by a jury of distributing fentanyl-laced cocaine that caused the overdose deaths of an engaged couple in Orange County, federal prosecutors stated Friday.
Stephen Johnson, 43, also known as “Stephen Jo,” was found guilty of two counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and two counts of distribution of cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson set sentencing for April 20. Johnson faces up to life in prison.
Evidence presented during a four-day trial showed the victims paid Johnson $240 on the night of May 24, 2023, in exchange for cocaine he provided in two transactions.
The couple then attended a concert in West Hollywood before returning about 3 a.m. on May 25 to Johnson’s residence to pick up the remaining cocaine, which contained fentanyl.
The victims later returned to their home in Brea, where they used the drugs and suffered fatal overdoses.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Brea Police Department.