Four suspected drug dealers arrested after teen's fatal overdose on potent synthetic opioid

Police Chief Derrick Lew announced that four individuals were taken into custody in connection with the overdose death of 16-year-old student Dante Lacourte, who died after ingesting a counterfeit pill laced with cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid recently identified in the city. Investigators linked the suspects to the case by examining the victim's room, analyzing his phone and conducting undercover purchases of the contaminated pills.

The subsequent raids on three San Francisco residences uncovered more than 20,000 suspect pills, additional drugs such as MDMA and heroin, a semi-automatic rifle, a pistol and over $2,000 in cash. The arrested men—Nicholas Wallace, Sharonee Hyson, Leander Pitts and Starr Lamare—are charged with narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses. DEA special agent Bob Beris noted that cychlorphine is roughly ten times more potent than fentanyl and can be hidden in various street drugs, making detection challenging and often requiring multiple doses of Narcan to reverse an overdose.