One Individual Charged as Law Enforcement Targets Fentanyl Shipped from Las Vegas to Utah

DOJ Press

SALT LAKE CITY – Colin Andrew Shapard, 21, of Las Vegas, Nevada, has been charged in federal court by the United States Attorney’s Office in Utah with six counts related to the distribution of fentanyl in Utah. The complaint charges Shapard with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and five counts of distribution of fentanyl. 

United States Attorney Andrea T. Martinez, Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes, DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jay Tinkler, United States Postal Inspection Service Team Leader Jared Bingham, Park City Police Chief Wade Carpenter, and Summit County Sheriff Justin Martinez announced the charges today.  

The complaint filed against Shapard alleges that, in November of 2021, DEA task force officers employed by the Park City Police Department and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office learned that illegal narcotic shipments containing opioids were being shipped from Las Vegas to Park City. The DEA officers learned that the alleged source of supply for the narcotics was Colin Shapard, and that he utilized delivery services, including the U.S. Mail, to ship opioids from Las Vegas to Utah. Officers also learned that each blue pill, stamped as fake 30 mg. oxycodone “M30,” costs between $30.00 and $45.00 per pill, and that Shapard had promised kickbacks to an individual in Park City for distributing the narcotics on his behalf. 

By November of 2021, it is alleged that Shapard had shipped between 10 and 30 of the blue M30 pills every two weeks over the previous two to three months to an individual in Park City. The DEA officers learned that Shapard was allegedly using encrypted cellular applications to arrange the shipment of the fake oxycodone pills to Park City. 


On December 8, 2021, U.S. Postal Inspectors took possession of a parcel which was shipped from Las Vegas to Park City. Postal Inspectors were able to obtain photographs of an individual who had allegedly shipped the parcel from the University Post Office in Las Vegas. Using these photographs, officers identified Shapard as the person who had allegedly sent the parcel. A search warrant was executed on this parcel and 35 blue M30 fake oxycodone pills were discovered with “M” imprinted on one side and “30” on the other side. The pills tested positive for fentanyl. 


On December 20, 2021, Postal Inspectors took possession of a priority mail package shipped from Las Vegas to Tooele. The envelope allegedly listed the sender as Colin Shapard and the recipient was an associate of Shapard’s. Using information obtained from the package, Postal Inspectors learned that the package was sent on December 17, 2021, from the University Post Office in Las Vegas. Postal Inspectors were able to obtain photographs which allegedly showed Shapard shipping the parcel from Las Vegas. A search warrant was executed on this parcel, and DEA officers discovered a single blister pack labeled as Tapentadol 100 MG which contained ten orange pills, and a pill bottle containing a variety of pills. The pill bottle contained 25 blue pills with “M” imprinted on one side and “30” imprinted on the other side. The blue pills tested positive for fentanyl. The bottle also held 100 unknown green pills with markings similar to Xanax pills and two unknown orange and white pills which were booked into evidence. 

In December of 2021, a DEA undercover agent contacted Shapard and attempted to purchase blue oxycodone 30mg tablets from him. Shapard allegedly indicated that he charged a premium for these pills but that they were legitimate pharmaceutical pills from Canada and did not contain fentanyl. Shapard also allegedly warned the undercover agent to be “careful” because “30 mg of oxycodone is still the very strong/the strongest they make….” 

On January 31, 2022, post office cameras in Las Vegas allegedly showed Shapard mailing the DEA undercover agent a parcel containing the requested pills. On February 4, 2022, a package addressed to the DEA undercover agent was intercepted by a Postal Inspector in Utah.  Inside the package, DEA officers discovered 15 blue M30 pills with “M” imprinted on one side and “30” imprinted on the other side. The pills tested positive for fentanyl. An additional nine yellow pills were discovered in the package which were booked into evidence. 

On February 10, 2022, Park City paramedics and Summit County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call regarding an 18-year-old male who was found unresponsive. Emergency workers resuscitated the victim using CPR and Narcan and the victim was transported to the hospital. The following day, DEA officers discovered that the victim had overdosed on blue M30 pills which were allegedly purchased from Shapard. The victim’s urinalysis report showed the presence of fentanyl and a fentanyl metabolite. The victim’s phone was searched, and it contained text messages allegedly facilitating illegal narcotics transactions between the victim and Shapard. Using shipping information Shapard had allegedly sent to the victim via text message, Postal Inspectors were able to obtain photos of Shapard allegedly shipping the parcel from the University Post Office on February 1, 2022. 

The DEA undercover agent placed another order for blue 30 mg oxycodone pills from Shapard after this incident. On February 14, 2022, Shapard allegedly shipped the pills ordered by the undercover agent. Photos from the University Post Office in Las Vegas allegedly show Shapard shipping the parcel to Utah. This parcel was intercepted by postal inspectors in Utah, on February 22, 2022. DEA officers discovered 15 blue M30 pills inside of the package along with fifteen white gel capsules. The blue M30 pills tested positive for fentanyl. Shapard allegedly sent a message to the undercover agent to confirm if the undercover agent had received the package. The undercover agent’s response to the message was delayed by a weekend. After this delay, and after hearing the undercover agent received the package, Shapard allegedly wrote, “Sorry about being so worried…Just wanted to check in and make sure you weren’t dead, as [it’s] never a good sign when someone goes MIA after getting a [expletive] ton of opiates.” 

In February of 2022, Shapard allegedly shipped another package containing fake blue M30 oxycodone pills to an associate in Tooele which was intercepted by postal inspectors. On February 18, 2022, a search warrant was executed on the package and 20 blue M30 pills were discovered inside which tested positive for fentanyl. Postal Inspectors again obtained photographs of Shapard allegedly shipping the parcel from the University Post Office in Las Vegas. 
 
Assistant United States Attorneys, and Special Assistant United States Attorneys from the Utah Attorney General’s Office, are prosecuting the case against Shapard. Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the DEA, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, the Park City Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. 

Allegations in charging documents are not findings of guilt. Defendants charged in complaints or indictments are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in court.

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