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    Man who sold fatal dose of fentanyl to Temecula college student gets 9 years in federal prison
    • February 28, 2023

    Matt Capelouto stood in the Riverside courtroom of federal Judge Jesus G. Bernal on Monday, Feb. 27, clutching a blue urn containing the ashes of his daughter, Alexandra. He was there to address the man who sold Alexandra the fentanyl that killed her.

    Capelouto told 23-year-old Brandon Michael McDowell he only wished one thing.

    “If there is anything I would wish for today, it would be to hear Alex’s voice. Since the day she was born, the sound of her voice filled our hearts and our lives with love and hope,” Capelouto said at the sentencing hearing in U.S.District Court. “I just want to hear her voice, and here we are, here we are standing in the same room with an individual that chose to trade all that, to trade her life, for a few bucks.”

    Supporters and faces of those who lost loved ones to fentanyl, they joined Matt Capelouto in his walk for justice in the case against the man accused in selling to his daughter Alexandra in Riverside on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

    The truck following the march reads a warning to those who might see outside the courthouse in Riverside on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

    Supporters wait to enter the George E. Brown Jr. Federal Building and Courthouse, in favor of the conviction the man accused of selling fentanyl that killed Alexandra Capelouto in Riverside on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

    Supporters join the walk from Mission Inn in Riverside to the courthouse in favor of the conviction the man accused of selling fentanyl that killed Alexandra Capelouto on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

    Supporters gather around Matt Capelouto at the Mission Inn in Riverside before proceeding toward the courthouse on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

    Ducan Filayson attends the walk against a accused fentanyl dealer as he holds a poster of his son Daulton who was also a victim in Riverside on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

    Matt Capelouto and supporters wait for others to join as they march in the conviction of accused fentanyl dealer in Riverside on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

    Supporters and faces of those who lost loved ones to fentanyl, they joined Matt Capelouto in his walk for justice in the case against the man accused in selling to his daughter Alexandra in Riverside on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

    Supporters wait to enter the George E. Brown Jr. Federal Building and Courthouse, in favor of the conviction the man accused of selling fentanyl that killed Alexandra Capelouto. The truck following the march shows other victims of fentanyl behind attendents on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

    Friend of Matt Capelouto hugs him in support in his walk for justice in the case against the man accused of selling fentanyl that killed his daughter Alexandra in Riverside on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

    Matt Capelouto holds the urn of his daughter Alexandra as the man accused of selling fentanyl that killed her faces possible conviction in Riverside on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. Capelouto says the design was one of her favorite paintings she was proud of and decided to replicate it on her urn. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

    This advertising truck followed walkers along a 60-mile route from Morgan Hill Park in Temecula to the Riverside Federal Building for the sentencing of the man who sold Alexandra Capelouto the fentanyl that killed her on Dec. 23, 2019. The reason for the walk is to raise awareness of the need for criminal prosecution of fentanyl dealers. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

    Tameisha Mercado and Donna Slusher-Perez pose prior to taking part in a 60-mile walk from Morgan Hill Park in Temecula to the Riverside Federal Building for the sentencing of the man who sold Alexandra Capelouto the fentanyl that killed her on Dec. 23, 2019. The reason for the walk is to raise awareness of the need for criminal prosecution of fentanyl dealers. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

    Matt Capelouto leads the group of walkers at the start of their 60-mile walk from Morgan Hill Park in Temecula to the Riverside Federal Building for the sentencing of the man who sold his daughter, Alexandra Capelouto, the fentanyl that killed her on Dec. 23, 2019. The reason for the walk is to raise awareness of the need for criminal prosecution of fentanyl dealers. This is the first federal case in Riverside County in which a drug dealer was charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.(Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

    Matt Capelouto poses in front of an advertising truck that will follow his 60-mile walk from Morgan Hill Park in Temecula to the Riverside Federal Building for the sentencing of the man who sold his daughter, Alexandra Capelouto, the fentanyl that killed her on Dec. 23, 2019. The truck, owned by All Around Digital Media, has screens on 3 sides and continually shows photos of both victims of fentanyl poisoning as well as supporters of the walk. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

    Eric Kanellos will be driving this truck, owned by All Around Digital Media, along the 60 mile route that the walkers will take. The walkers, some who have lost sons and daughters to fentanyl poisoning, will walk from Morgan Hill Park in Temecula to the Riverside Federal Building for the sentencing of the man who sold Alexandra Capelouto the fentanyl that killed her on Dec. 23, 2019. That will be the first federal case in in Riverside County in which a drug dealer was charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

    Matt Capelouto leads the group of walkers at the start of their 60-mile walk from Morgan Hill Park in Temecula to the Riverside Federal Building for the sentencing of the man who sold his daughter, Alexandra Capelouto, the fentanyl that killed her on Dec. 23, 2019. The reason for the walk is to raise awareness of the need for criminal prosecution of fentanyl dealers. This is the first federal case in Riverside County in which a drug dealer was charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.(Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

    Matt Capelouto (right) talks with Eric Kanellos prior to a 60-mile walk from Morgan Hill Park in Temecula to the Riverside Federal Building for the sentencing of the man who sold Capalouto’s daughter, Alexandra, the fentanyl that killed her on Dec. 23, 2019. Kanellos will follow the route driving a truck with electric signs showing names of fentanyl victims along with sponsors of the walk. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

    Matt Capelouto, center, poses with walkers and supporters taking part in a 60-mile walk from Morgan Hill Park in Temecula to the Riverside Federal Building for the sentencing of the man who sold Alexandra Capelouto the fentanyl that killed her on Dec. 23, 2019. The reason for the walk is to raise awareness of the need for criminal prosecution of fentanyl dealers. This is the first federal case in Riverside County in which a drug dealer was charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.(Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

    Nedra and Chris Jenkins hold up a photo of their son, Justin, who died on March, 28, 2021 of fentanyl poisoning. That day was Chris Jenkin’s birthday. They are preparing to take part in a 60-mile walk from Morgan Hill Park in Temecula to the Riverside Federal Building for the sentencing of the man who sold Alexandra Capelouto the fentanyl that killed her on Dec. 23, 2019. This is the first federal case in Riverside County in which a drug dealer was charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

    Donna Slusher-Perez poses in front of a photo of her son, Dylan Perez, prior to taking part in a 60-mile walk from Morgan Hill Park in Temecula to the Riverside Federal Building for the sentencing of the man who sold Alexandra Capelouto the fentanyl that killed her on Dec. 23, 2019. The reason for the walk is to raise awareness of the need for criminal prosecution of fentanyl dealers.
    Slusher-Perez lost both her son and Nephew, Matthew Slusher, to fentanyl poisoning. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

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    Packed courtroom

    In a packed courtroom and a packed jury room to accommodate the overflow of spectators, Bernal sentenced McDowell, of Riverside, to nine years in federal prison. Federal prosecutors were seeking a 14-year sentence, while McDowell’s attorney, Deputy Federal Public Defender Young Kim, was asking for seven years in prison.

    McDowell sold 20-year-old Alexandra Capelouto a batch of what she thought were oxycodone pills on Dec. 22, 2019. Capelouto had contacted McDowell via the social media platform Snapchat, seeking the pills to help her sleep. Instead, they were a death sentence.

    During emotionally powerful victim impact statements, the Capelouto family — Alexandra’s parents, Matt and Christine, and their three surviving daughters, Skye, Brooke and Brittney — spoke of Alexandra’s battles with clinical depression, anxiety and insomnia, and how her death destroyed their family.

    Alexandra Capelouto (Courtesy Capelouto family)

    ‘A nightmare you never wake up from’

    Christine Capelouto found her daughter slumped over on her bed two days before Christmas, in a sitting position in front of her makeup mirror.

    “I really thought she had just fallen asleep that way. I went to move her in a more comfortable sleeping position. I realized when I turned her over she was long gone,” Christine Capelouto said. “Her body was stiff and cold. This is a parent’s worst nightmare. It’s a nightmare you never wake up from.”

    Alexandra was a sociology major at Arizona State University who dreamed of working in the foster care system, her mother said. She was home visiting for Christmas when she died.

    Skye Capelouto said she woke up that dreadful morning — Dec. 23, 2019 — to the sound of a door slamming and her mother screaming.

    “That was the worst day of my life. I lost my parents for awhile. We didn’t function as a family for a long time,” she said. “My heart will never stop breaking from losing my sister.”

    Christine Capelouto said the day her daughter died, Alexandra told her she was battling insomnia, was really tired and that she could not get good sleep.

    “I told her I didn’t have anything for her that could help her. Unbeknownst to me she sought out painkillers to help her sleep. She did not want to die. Alex was seeking relief, not death,” her mother said.

    Suffering from lung cancer

    In March 2022, she said she was diagnosed with stage 4 triple negative breast cancer which had metastasized to her lungs. Genetic testing came back negative, and the condition does not run in her family.

    “I asked my doctor if my grief could have caused this cancer, and he said more than likely, yes,” Christine Capelouto said. “Our daughters barely have parents anymore. We just can’t function like a normal family, and we never will. I will not be alive much longer from this cancer. More losses in the family. I lost both my parents and my daughter in a 9-month period.”

    Matt Capelouto said Alexandra’s death has taken even more from his family.

    “We all know there is no greater pain than having a child stolen from you. It puts a weight and a strain on us all that can’t be measured,” he said. “I have no doubt all this pain and despair is the cause of my wife’s cancer, which is literally killing her as I stand her and talk with you — collateral damage caused by a guy making a buck off the life of our daughter.”

    A grand jury indicted McDowell on one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death in December 2021. But under a deal with federal prosecutors, McDowell agreed to plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

    After Alexandra Capelouto made contact with him on social media, McDowell drove to her Temecula home and sold her a batch of what were later determined to be blue fentanyl pills known in drug culture as “M30s,” according to the indictment.

    Investigators seized 11 1/2 pills from Alexandra Capelouto’s bedroom, but are not sure how many she actually bought, and believe she had crushed them into powder and snorted the drug.

    60-mile walk to courthouse

    Three days before the court appearance, Capelouto’s parents and their supporters braved the cold and rainy weather on Friday to begin a 60-mile walk from Morgan Hill Park in Temecula to the federal courthouse in Riverside to attend McDowell’s sentencing. They were accompanied by a truck with an electronic billboard that flashed photos of people, most of them young, who have died from fentanyl poisoning.

    During the final leg of their walk on Monday, the group marched from the Mission Inn in Riverside to the George E. Brown Jr. Federal Building, with Alexandra Capelouto’s parents leading the way and Matt clutching the blue urn like it was his newborn daughter.

    Matt Capelouto is one of several parents whose children have died from fentanyl poisoning who have been pushing for stricter laws that would hold drug dealers accountable if they knowingly sell fentanyl to people who die after using it. Many support murder charges in such cases.

    As part of the push for more punitive sentencings, federal prosecutors have vowed to continue aggressively investigating fatal overdose cases to identify and bring to justice every individual involved in trafficking the cheap synthetic opioid.

    More on Alexandra Capelouto

    Harsher penalties are needed to combat the fentanyl crisis and save lives
    Riverside County’s war on fentanyl dealers gaining attention across state
    Federal authorities have a tool to battle fentanyl dealers that California lacks
    Law enforcement agencies, families call for tougher penalties against fentanyl dealers
    Murder charges in fentanyl deaths? Riverside County carves new path in Southern California

    In the last year, law enforcement officials at all levels from across Southern California and the country have been sounding the alarm and launching public awareness campaigns on the dangers of fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine and spreading like a cancer across the nation, becoming the No. 1 killer of adults in the 18-to-45 age range.

    In January, local and federal law enforcement officials in Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties announced the launch of another public outreach campaign, “Death in Disguise.” It expanded on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s “One Pill Can Kill” campaign and included the release of a new public service announcement and an engagement program targeting schools and community groups across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

    The Capelouto case has generated wide publicity and prompted Sen. Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, to introduce Senate Bill 350 in 2021. The bill, which failed in committee, would have mandated that under state law, anyone convicted of dealing fentanyl or other potentially deadly drugs be issued a written warning that an overdose death resulting from providing such drugs could result in a murder prosecution in the future.

    It was recommended Monday that McDowell serve his sentence at either the Lompoc or Terminal Island federal correctional institutions.

    ​ Orange County Register 

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