Cashmere man arrested in East Wenatchee overdose death

EAST WENATCHEE — A 27-year-old Cashmere man has been arrested in connection with a fentanyl-related overdose death in East Wenatchee.

Detectives with the East Wenatchee Police Department, assisted by the Columbia River Drug Task Force, took the man into custody Aug. 20 at his residence in Cashmere. He was booked into the Chelan County Regional Justice Center on charges of controlled substance homicide, delivery of a controlled substance, and using a building for drug purposes.

The arrest stems from a December 2024 case in which a 26-year-old woman was found dead of an apparent overdose in an East Wenatchee apartment. Investigators said evidence gathered at the time identified the Cashmere man as a potential source of the drugs involved.

After several months of follow-up work, detectives obtained a warrant for the suspect’s home. The warrant was served without incident, police said.

Authorities emphasized that fentanyl continues to drive overdose deaths across North Central Washington. East Wenatchee police said the department, in partnership with the regional drug task force, remains committed to investigating and disrupting the local fentanyl trade.

A statement like this comes on the heels of a 2024 year in review released just 6 months ago from Chelan County Coroner Wayne Harris, who reported that the number of drug overdose deaths last year was 37, which is more than eight times the number of overdose deaths from just five years prior.

“We are continuing to see growth in deaths related to illegal drugs, in particular fentanyl, in our community,” says Harris. Dealing in those drugs, as the Cashmere suspect could be about to learn, can result in serious consequences when the end user dies of overdose. Controlled substance homicide has been a Class B felony in Washington since 1987. The maximum sentence is 10 years in prison, up to $20,000 fine, or both.

The case remains active, and additional details may be released as the investigation continues.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media