Riverside County man sentenced for supplying fentanyl in two overdose deaths

A Riverside County man was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for supplying fentanyl to two people who died from overdoses more than two years ago. 

Keith Gustafson was arrested at his Murrieta home in 2023, at which point Riverside County Sheriff's Office deputies recovered firearms, cocaine, M30 pills, and fentanyl, officials said at the time of his arrest. 

More than three years later, Gustafson was finally sentenced for the overdose deaths of two young men that happened months apart in 2022 and 2023. Along with the 17-year sentence, Gustafson was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to each of the victims' families.

"It's been a long journey, but I do believe that justice was served here today," said Jennifer Crain, the mother of Marcell Butler, who died from fentanyl poisoning in November 2022. 

Prosecutors said that Gustafson provided the dose of fentanyl that killed Butler. They also said that when he noticed something was wrong, he did nothing to help. Two months later, prosecutors said that Gustafson sold fentanyl-laced cocaine to Ryan Diaz in January 2023, also leading to his death. 

"He's going to be missed," said Doug Diaz, the victim's father. "His impact on the people that he impacted just by knowing him made a difference. He's going to be missed."

 Master Investigator Mike Cornett, with RSO's Overdose Detective Narcotics Investigators Unit, led the investigation that finally led to Gustafson's arrest.

"We're not gonna have to worry about him getting back into the habit, getting back into dealing fentanyl, and killing two more sons, or three more sons, or even one more son," Cornett said at Friday's sentencing. 

He was joined by the victims' families, who offered their emotional impact statements in the Riverside County federal courtroom. They spoke on missed birthdays and holidays, future families and children, and made a point on making sure that nothing like this could happen to another family.