In Clackamas County, a guilty plea has resulted in an 80-month prison sentence for 31-year-old Colby Jungwirth, who was charged in connection with the fentanyl-induced death of another man. Last Tuesday, Jungwirth admitted to criminally negligent homicide for his role in supplying Christian Chase Robertson with the lethal dose of fentanyl. This drug transaction tragically led to Robertson's death in 2022, as reported by the Clackamas County news release.
Underlying this case is the examination done by the State Medical Examiner’s Office, which determined the cause of Robertson's death to be acute fentanyl toxicity. Following the investigation led by the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF), evidence revealed Robertson's acquisition of the fentanyl pills from Jungwirth only a night before he was found unresponsive. "Mr. Robertson’s death is extremely tragic," Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth expressed, "Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous drug, and we at the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office are dedicated to prosecuting anyone who illicitly deals this drug."
The CCITF, which includes the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and agencies such as the Canby Police Department, Oregon State Police, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the FBI, utilized phone records and GPS data to link Jungwirth to the sale. This multi-agency effort, which benefits from community-supported levy funding and the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, was critical in orchestrating a sting operation that led to Jungwirth's arrest. During his subsequent confession, Jungwirth acknowledged the inherent risks of fentanyl, even advising Robertson to be cautious with the drug.
The District Attorney's office has recognized and commended the work of the CCITF in their ongoing efforts. The task force is hailed not only for confronting this individual case but also for its broader mission to curb the trafficking and crimes associated with illegal drugs in the Clackamas County region. As these prosecutions continue, the hope is to see a reduction in the devastating impact that substances like fentanyl have on communities.
