A federal jury on Friday found a Lompoc man guilty in connection with the death of an inmate who overdosed on fentanyl at the Santa Barbara County Northern Branch Jail.
Kaelen Jacobkeali Wendel, 32, was found guilty of one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury.
In October 2022, Wendel, who had been arrested for outstanding property crime warrants, smuggled fentanyl into the jail and packaged it into candy containers.
Wendel gave some of the drugs to another inmate, Michael Villapania, in exchange for commissary items.
Villapania then sold the drug to another inmate. That inmate reportedly shared it with his cellmate and the two men overdosed. One died and the other was revived after receiving CPR and Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.
In February, Villapania pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl. He is scheduled to be sentenced in June and faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Wendel is also scheduled to be sentenced in June and faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison.
