Central Oregon’s Notorious Fentanyl Kingpin Ricky Fontaine Locked Up for Over a Decade

A multi-agency investigation led by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office led to the arrest and sentencing of a known, high-volume Central Oregon drug trafficker, Ricky Fontaine, 32, of Bend, Oregon, who was handed 135 months in federal prison plus five years of supervised release for selling drugs including fentanyl.

Central Oregon Drug Dealer Jailed For Over 11 Years

Court documents show that the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Street Crimes Unit did a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Fontaine on April 1, 2023, after obtaining information that Fontaine was actively selling drugs, including fentanyl, in Deschutes County.

The detectives quickly apprehended Fontaine, who tried to walk away from the traffic stop on foot.

Fontaine had an unrelated active felony arrest warrant. After detectives searched Fontaine’s vehicle, they found over 1,000 grams of fentanyl, a .22 caliber handgun, scales, and drug packaging materials.

Several photographs of Fontaine posing with large quantities of packaged fentanyl pills were also found later. A second search warrant was executed at Fontaine’s residence later, where more fentanyl pills, scales, and packaging materials were found.

Fontaine was charged with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl as well as illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon by superseding indictment on January 18, 2024, and on December 4, last year, pleaded guilty to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute.

The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a significant rise in overdose deaths throughout the state.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Street Crimes Unit collaborated with the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE), Redmond Police Department, and Andrew R. Doyle, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, to bring the drug dealer to justice.

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