Federal prosecutors say a deadly mix of fentanyl and methamphetamine has landed a Sells woman in prison for a decade and a half after the overdose death of a child on the Tohono O’odham Nation.
Stacie Marie Narcho, 47, of Sells, Arizona, was sentenced on Jan. 22 to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to child abuse in connection with a November 2022 overdose that killed a minor. Prosecutors say Narcho provided the young person with methamphetamine and fentanyl, and the child later overdosed and died. The sentence, announced this month by federal prosecutors, has rattled community members already on edge about youth drug use and fentanyl on tribal lands.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, Narcho was sentenced on Jan. 22 after pleading guilty to child abuse. Court records cited by prosecutors state that she “knowingly and intentionally provided a minor with methamphetamine and fentanyl” in November 2022, conduct that prosecutors say led to the child’s fatal overdose.
What prosecutors said
In the statement, U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine called the case “a stark reminder of the irreversible harm caused when adults expose children to dangerous drugs.” FBI Phoenix acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Hooper added that those who provide methamphetamine and fentanyl to youth “will face the harshest extent of the law,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s statement reported by FOX 10 Phoenix. Prosecutors did not release further information about the nature of the relationship between Narcho and the victim in their public statement.
Bigger picture: fentanyl and youth in Arizona
The case lands as Arizona officials warn that fentanyl and counterfeit pills are driving a troubling rise in youth overdoses statewide. Arizona’s STOP-IT task force, created to expand access to naloxone in schools and train staff to respond to overdoses, is one key piece of the state’s response. Reporting by AZ Mirror/Cronkite News highlights federal Drug Enforcement Administration officials and state data indicating that a large share of seized pills contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl.
Where it happened and local impact
The case unfolded in Sells, the capital of the Tohono O’odham Nation, which spans large sections of southern Arizona and serves as a tribal governmental center, per the University of Arizona’s tribal relations resources. In recent years, state and tribal leaders have worked with public health and school partners, including the STOP-IT initiative, to expand drug prevention efforts, naloxone access and overdose education as Arizona confronts rising overdose risks for young people.
