A man with a lengthy history of drug offenses has been hit with a charge of criminally negligent homicide following a fatal fentanyl overdose in Portland. According to court records, Hugo Gomez-Soto, aged 48, was implicated in the overdose death of a 25-year-old man last December. The victim, found unconscious by a family member and later declared dead at OHSU, had succumbed to fentanyl toxicity.
Investigators managed to quickly piece together a connection between the victim's fentanyl supply and Gomez-Soto, utilizing the victim's cell phone to fatally arrange a drug purchase. Local authorities, attempting to close the book on this tragic transaction, carried out the sting operation on January 25, less than a month after the death. Police told OregonLive that during the setup, Gomez-Soto texted: "Here," as he arrived near the victim's home to make the alleged sale.
Upon his arrest, Gomez-Soto was found in possession of blue fentanyl pills and powdered fentanyl. It was revealed that he expressed dismay upon learning of the victim's overdose and subsequent death, uttering "Oh no, oh no," as detailed in court documents and reported by KATU. Readily obvious, yet tragic, the interlaced fates of Feinstein-Smith and Gomez-Soto mirror the harrowing overdose epidemic that grips the nation.
Gomez-Soto's record includes a rap sheet with aliases and arrests across several states, and even past deportation to Honduras following heroin charges, as reported by Ground News. The comprehensive history of his criminal undertakings sharply contrasts with the single, irreversible act that took a young man's life. Presently, Gomez-Soto awaits further proceedings, held without bail.
In response to the ongoing crisis, city and state officials had earlier declared a fentanyl state of emergency aimed at expediting addiction treatment and curb the spiraling number of overdose deaths. This case punctuates the urgency of such measures in a community to efficiently combat the unseen, yet ever-present scourge of fentanyl sweeping through its streets.
