Lummi Nation Man Sentenced to Time Served for Fentanyl Distribution
A 30-year-old member of the Lummi Nation Tribe was sentenced Monday to time served and three years of supervised release for distributing fentanyl on the Lummi Reservation.
Stephan A. Charlot, represented by defense attorney Jesse Guerrero Cantor, appeared before U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson in the Western District of Washington after pleading guilty to one federal count of distribution of a controlled substance.
Charlot had been in federal and tribal custody since his initial arrest by the Lummi Nation Police Department on June 21, 2025.
According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, the federal charge followed a May 2025 tribal police investigation into the overdose death of an adult female tribal member.
During the investigation, an adult male witness admitted to purchasing $20 worth of fentanyl from Charlot at his reservation home, which the witness then shared with the deceased woman.
Court documents carefully outline the legal boundaries of Charlot’s culpability regarding the death. Charlot and the witness were both initially charged in tribal court with drug distribution and homicide.
However, court records emphasize that the tribal homicide charges against both men were subsequently dismissed after a toxicology report failed to establish a direct causal connection between the fentanyl and the woman’s death.
The witness pleaded guilty to drug distribution in tribal court, while Charlot set his case for trial and was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury strictly on the distribution charge.
In her sentencing memorandum, Assistant U.S. Attorney Celia A. Lee explicitly noted that while Charlot “is not legally responsible” for the woman’s death, his distribution of fentanyl “significantly harmed others within his community.”
The memorandum highlighted that the incident resulted in significant public outcry and a demand for solutions to the fentanyl crisis on the reservation.
Court filings also detail Charlot’s long-standing struggle with substance abuse. A former fisherman who worked in Blaine, Wash., Charlot reportedly began using drugs as a teenager and had been using fentanyl daily from 2021 until his arrest.
The government also noted in its filings that before police could search Charlot’s cell phone during the investigation, he and his girlfriend successfully performed a factory reset.
Judge Evanson adopted the joint sentencing recommendation proposed by both the prosecution and the defense.
As part of his three-year supervised release, Charlot must adhere to several strict conditions as he transitions back into the community.
According to federal court filings, Charlot still faces outstanding arrest warrants on separate, pending cases and was anticipated to be transported to address those matters following Monday’s sentencing.