A federal grand jury has indicted five Salt Lake County residents on drug trafficking charges connected to a fentanyl-related death, with one of the men accused of directly supplying the fentanyl that killed another person. The defendants range in age from 23 to 59 and come from Millcreek, Salt Lake City and West Valley City.
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Utah announced charges against Christopher Lee Washington, 53, of Millcreek; Natasha Annette Ashworth, 39, of Salt Lake City; Keisha Brewer-Case, 23, of West Valley City; Brittany Cuevas Caldwell, 38, of Salt Lake City; and Keith Jerome Lewis, 59, of Salt Lake City, according to ABC4 Utah. A federal grand jury handed up the indictment on October 21, per the same prosecutors' office. All five defendants face charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, the outlet reports.
Washington faces an additional, more serious charge: distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Prosecutors allege his distribution of the drug led directly to another person's death, though officials have not released additional information about the decedent or the broader investigation, according to the station's report.
What Investigators Say They Found
Court documents allege the conspiracy involved hundreds of grams of illicit substances beginning around April 29 and continuing through at least August 27, per the same account. During the investigation, law enforcement officers searched Ashworth's residence and reportedly seized a substantial cache of drugs there.
Officers found 19 pounds of methamphetamine, a one-kilogram brick of cocaine and 21 grams of fentanyl powder at Ashworth's home, the station notes. The drugs were seized as part of the broader probe into the alleged trafficking network.
Court Dates and the Presumption of Innocence
The defendants have initial appearances scheduled throughout November, according to ABC4 Utah's reporting. As with all federal defendants, those charged in the case are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case lands amid a long-running overdose crisis in Utah. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services reported in January 2025 that the state's drug overdose death rate had not changed much over the prior decade, with rates peaking in 2015 and staying close to those peak levels since.
Other Utah Fentanyl Cases
Washington's fentanyl-death charge echoes other federal cases brought in Utah in recent years. In June 2023, a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City indicted Shereldon Cly Yanito, 23, of Grand County, on a charge of distributing fentanyl resulting in death, according to KSL. Prosecutors in that case said a $40 transaction between the victim's digital wallet and Yanito's occurred the night before the victim died of an overdose in San Juan County on April 15, 2022, KSL reported.
A separate 2019 case saw John Aaron Favro, 24, charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, according to Deseret News. In that case, the Utah medical examiner determined the woman involved died as a result of fentanyl intoxication. More recently, the FBI's Salt Lake City field office reported that a Uintah County man was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison after distributing fentanyl that caused another person's death.
Recognizing an Overdose
Utah health officials stress that an overdose can happen unintentionally, even when medication is taken as prescribed, and that anyone taking opioids is at risk regardless of the reason for taking them, per the state health department. Warning signs include small, pinpoint pupils, shallow or stopped breathing, blue or purple fingernails and lips, a faint heartbeat, gurgling or choking noises, and a limp body that cannot be woken up.
The department advises bystanders who suspect someone is overdosing to call 911, administer naloxone if it is available, and perform rescue breathing if necessary.
