The following is a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office of Idaho:
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – Brian Arthur Goodale, 56, of Lake Elsinore, California, was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin D. Whatcott announced Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered that Goodale pay restitution to the family of the victim to cover funeral expenses and to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
According to court records, on March 16, 2023, law enforcement conducted a welfare check on the victim who had not responded to calls or knocks on the door. They found the deceased victim with a small drug tube clutched in his hand and a small piece of tin foil next to him. A toxicology report and autopsy showed that the victim had a lethal dose of fentanyl in his system at the time of death. The investigation revealed Facebook messages between the victim and Goodale. Goodale sent a message that said, “shoot the $100 and I’ll send it now . . . 3pk . . . but I’m gonna need the $200 on Wed. if your still alive!!” The investigation revealed that the victim purchased fentanyl from Goodale, who shipped the fentanyl through the Post Office in Chula Vista, California to Boise, Idaho. Goodale has an extensive criminal history that includes 29 prior convictions in the state of California, 20 of which are controlled substance offenses. At the time he sold the fentanyl to the victim in Idaho, Goodale was on felony probation for offering a controlled substance for sale, fentanyl, in Riverside County, California.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50–100 times stronger than morphine. Pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed for severe pain management and prescribed in the form of transdermal patches or lozenges. While prescription fentanyl can be diverted for misuse, most cases of fentanyl-related overdoses in the U.S. are linked to Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations, who are the world’s leading producers of illicit fentanyl. These Drug Trafficking Organizations often collaborate with transnational cartels to smuggle illicit fentanyl into the U.S.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the Boise Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Postal Inspection Service for their investigation in this case, which led to the charge. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian S. Nafzger prosecuted the case.
