EUGENE, OR—Mitchell Levi Ellingson, 52, of Lane County, Oregon, was sentenced on Tuesday, September 1, 2015, by U.S. District Judge Michael McShane to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. Following his release from prison, Ellingson will be on supervised release for five years.

Following a drug overdose death in 2014, the Lane County Interagency Narcotics Team (INET) and the FBI investigated the source of supply of the drugs taken by the deceased, and determined that co-conspirator Megan Suzanne Jacob sold, and injected, the heroin that contributed to the overdose death. After a medical examination, the cause of death was determined to be a mixed drug overdose of heroin and methamphetamine. Because the deceased had used a significant amount of methamphetamine earlier in the day that was obtained from another source, the death could not solely be attributed to Jacob and her distribution of heroin.

In July 2014, law enforcement made a series of controlled purchases of heroin and methamphetamine from Jacob, and it was determined that Mitchell Ellingson was Jacob’s source of supply for these transactions. Both Jacob and Ellingson were arrested on July 30, 2014. Jacob pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine and was sentenced to 60 months in prison on June 17, 2015.

Acting U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said that, “Heroin is a deadly drug that causes far too many tragic and needless deaths. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our federal and local law enforcement partners to fight this epidemic, and to hold heroin traffickers accountable.”

Ellingson has prior felony convictions which include first degree burglary, possession of a controlled substance and assault on a public safety officer.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Lane County Interagency Narcotics Team and the Eugene Resident Agency office of the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sweet.