A Thousand Oaks man pleaded not guilty to felony furnishing a controlled substance that resulted in a 2025 overdose death during an appearance in Ventura County Superior Court on Oct. 8.
The 34-year-old also denied several special allegations including that the victim was vulnerable, he took advantage of a position of trust and the crime involved great violence, court records show.
The charges stem from an Oct. 11, 2025, drug overdose of a 31-year-old man at his home in Thousand Oaks, according to a Ventura County Sheriff’s Office news release. The sheriff’s office is contracted to provide police services to the city of Thousand Oaks.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to the home along with Ventura County Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services
personnel to provide aid, sheriff’s officials said. Deputies also collected drug paraphernalia and other evidence at the home.
The Thousand Oaks man was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead, the sheriff’s office said.
A Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office examination showed that the man’s death was caused by the combined toxic effects of carfentanil, alprazolam, and methamphetamine, sheriff’s officials said.
Investigators identified the 34-year-old Thousand Oaks man as the person who was suspected of providing fentanyl to the 31-year-old, ultimately resulting in his death.
Detectives obtained several search warrants in the investigation including for the Feb. 19 search of the 34-year-old’s home, sheriff’s officials said. Investigators found evidence of fentanyl possession, a digital scale and drug paraphernalia in the man’s bedroom.
He was arrested and booked into Ventura County jail on Oct. 7 with bail set at $250,000, jail records show. He is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 12.
The man has previously pleaded guilty to felony and misdemeanor drug-related charges, court records show.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Thousand Oaks man pleads not guilty to felony in overdose death
