A federal grand jury in Alaska has indicted a Washington man, Jacob Cotton, on charges related to the distribution of controlled substances that allegedly led to two fatal overdoses in Skagway in 2023. According to court documents, Cotton, aged 33, is accused of conspiring with others from January 1 to January 13, 2023, to distribute fentanyl.
During this period, Cotton allegedly distributed fentanyl that resulted in the death of a 28-year-old man on January 13 and a 44-year-old man the following day. He faces one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
Cotton appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble on January 31 at the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he could face a sentence ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The announcement was made by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Vogel of the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge David Reames of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Seattle Field Division, and Skagway Police Chief Jerry Reddick.
The investigation is being conducted by the DEA Seattle Field Division and Anchorage District Office along with the Skagway Police Department as part of the Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs Task Force (SEACAD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt is prosecuting the case.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.