Otis Fentanyl Pusher Gets Hard Time In 67-Year-Old’s Overdose Death

A Lincoln County drug dealer who admitted selling counterfeit fentanyl pills tied to a deadly overdose in Otis is headed to state prison.

Steven Brady, 61, was sentenced Wednesday to 80 months in the Oregon Department of Corrections after pleading guilty in the overdose death of a 67-year-old Otis woman. Prosecutors said Brady sold her counterfeit fentanyl pills and methamphetamine that were linked to her March 11, 2025, overdose. The case grew out of a 2024 investigation that culminated in two search warrants at Brady’s home last spring.

Brady pleaded guilty to unlawful delivery of a Schedule II controlled substance, unlawful delivery of methamphetamine and criminally negligent homicide, according to the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office, as reported by KPTV. A Lincoln County Circuit Court judge imposed the sentence on Wednesday.

Searches turned up fentanyl, meth and counterfeit pills

Investigators first served a search warrant at Brady’s residence on March 3, 2025. They seized more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, about 11 grams of powdered fentanyl and 270 counterfeit fentanyl pills, according to a Lincoln City Police Department news release cited by the Lincoln Chronicle.

A second warrant on March 20 turned up more meth, additional powdered fentanyl, more counterfeit fentanyl pills and roughly $8,600 in cash, the release stated. Those searches helped investigators firm up the case that Brady was supplying fake pills into the local drug market.

Overdose traced to counterfeit pills

Prosecutors said Brady sold counterfeit fentanyl pills to the 67-year-old Otis woman who later overdosed on March 11, 2025, and that investigators were able to track those same pills back to him during the investigation. Those details were outlined in reporting from KOIN and in statements from the District Attorney’s Office.

At sentencing, Judge Sheryl Bachart told Brady, “This didn’t have to happen,” and urged him to fully accept responsibility for his role in the woman’s death, according to KPTV. She warned that fentanyl is inflicting severe harm across the community and noted that no amount of prison time will undo the loss for the victim’s family.

Statewide context

The case unfolds as Oregon continues to wrestle with fentanyl in the illicit drug supply, even as preliminary state data show a recent dip in overall overdose deaths. The Oregon Health Authority’s 2025 overdose report and coverage by OPB note that fentanyl and methamphetamine remain leading drivers of polysubstance overdose fatalities statewide.

Legal notes

Under the plea agreement, Brady was convicted of unlawful delivery of a Schedule II drug, unlawful delivery of methamphetamine and criminally negligent homicide. The court also ordered 36 months of post-prison supervision, according to reporting on the case. Lincoln City police previously said the victim’s name would not be released and credited community tips that came in during 2024 with helping launch the investigation that ultimately led to Brady’s arrest and conviction.