By Cris Alarcon, InEDC Writer. (April 28, 2025)
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — A South Lake Tahoe man has been arrested on federal charges for allegedly distributing fentanyl that led to the deaths of four individuals in February 2024
Timothy Austin Pannell, 31, was taken into custody on Friday, April 25, 2025, by a special agent from the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office. The arrest was made possible with assistance from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, El Dorado County Probation, and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office .
According to court documents, Pannell, also known as “Frog,” allegedly sold fentanyl—believing it to be cocaine—to two men in the parking lot of a church in South Lake Tahoe on the night of February 11, 2024. The following day, authorities responded to a 911 call reporting multiple overdoses at a residence on Roger Avenue. Three men and one woman were found deceased, while a fifth individual survived the overdose .
The deceased were identified as Abraham Lemus, 32, and Adam Joy, 35, both of South Lake Tahoe; Keely Pereira, 33, of South Lake Tahoe; and Clifford Joy, 37, of Douglas County, Nevada .
El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson stated that Pannell realized the mistake in selling fentanyl instead of cocaine and made multiple frantic attempts to warn the victims, placing
“at least 17 unanswered phone calls and later drove through the victim’s neighborhood in an unsuccessful effort to prevent harm” .
A probation search of Pannell’s residence uncovered evidence of ongoing drug trafficking, including fentanyl residue, a digital scale, and cash concealed in deceptive containers. At the time, Pannell was on probation from previous drug charges and was arrested by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department on probation violation charges on March 7, 2024
Under current California law, charging Pannell with second-degree implied malice murder was not viable. To secure such a conviction, prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant knowingly acted in conscious disregard for human life. In this case, Pierson noted that the evidence shows Pannell believed he was distributing cocaine and made efforts to warn the victims upon discovering his mistake, negating the intent required for a murder charge
Pannell faces a federal complaint for alleged distribution of fentanyl, a felony. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.Federal Bureau of Investigation
