Executive Summary
- Stephan A. Charlot indicted by federal grand jury for fentanyl distribution in Whatcom County.
- Investigation is linked to a fatal overdose on the Lummi Nation Indian Reservation in May 2025.
- Witness testimony and social media messages allegedly link Charlot to the drugs used by the deceased.
- Autopsy confirmed death by acute combined fentanyl and methadone intoxication.
A federal grand jury in Seattle has indicted Stephan A. Charlot, a Whatcom County resident, on a charge of knowingly and intentionally distributing fentanyl connected to a homicide investigation on the Lummi Nation Indian Reservation. The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, alleges the distribution occurred on or about May 24, 2025, according to court records.
The federal charge stems from an investigation into the death of a woman found unresponsive at a residence within the Lummi Nation Indian Reservation. Lummi Nation Police responded to the scene just after midnight on May 25, 2025, where the woman was pronounced dead shortly after first responders arrived. According to the initial criminal complaint, investigators recovered evidence from the bedroom including foil, a straw, a lockbox, and multiple doses of Narcan.
A witness cooperating with investigators stated that he purchased approximately $20 worth of fentanyl from Charlot earlier that night and later shared the narcotics with the woman. The complaint details that the witness identified Charlot as the supplier through Facebook Messenger correspondence and subsequently confirmed his identity via a photograph. Messages retrieved from the deceased woman’s phone also reportedly indicated discussions regarding the acquisition of fentanyl prior to her death.
An autopsy determined the woman’s cause of death was acute combined fentanyl and methadone intoxication, and the manner of death was ruled accidental. A forensic toxicologist noted in the report that it was not possible to determine whether fentanyl, methadone, or the combination of both was the sole cause of death. Charlot was initially arrested by Lummi Nation Police in June 2025 on tribal charges of homicide and delivery of an illegal substance.
Procedural Next Steps
The filing of this federal indictment formally supersedes the earlier criminal complaint and transfers the primary prosecution to the federal court system, a common procedural step for serious offenses alleged to have occurred on tribal land. As the case moves forward, the legal focus will likely center on the evidentiary link between the alleged distribution and the resulting fatality, as well as the admissibility of the digital communications. It is important to note that all individuals, including Stephan A. Charlot, are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
