Powell man guilty in overdose death

Posted 2/10/15

In a Thursday appearance in Park County District Court, Adam B. Mangold, 29, pleaded guilty to a felony count of delivering a controlled substance (the painkilling patch fentanyl) and a misdemeanor count of criminally negligent homicide. The case …

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Powell man guilty in overdose death

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A Powell man admitted last week that the prescription drugs he illegally distributed caused another man’s death in December 2013.

In a Thursday appearance in Park County District Court, Adam B. Mangold, 29, pleaded guilty to a felony count of delivering a controlled substance (the painkilling patch fentanyl) and a misdemeanor count of criminally negligent homicide. The case relates to the death of 25-year-old Bryson Herdt, a Powell man who fatally overdosed on fentanyl provided by Mangold.

Prosecutors say they plan to ask District Court Judge Steven Cranfill to sentence Mangold to eight to 10 years in prison for the offenses. Mangold and his court-appointed defense attorney, Nick Beduhn of Cody, are free to argue for whatever sentence they believe is appropriate.

Mangold’s pleas came as part of a deal with the Park County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in which two other felony charges of illegally delivering prescription medication (fentanyl and diazepam) and a felony count of illegally possessing a controlled substance (marijuana) for a third or subsequent time were dropped.

The two delivery charges that were tied to a half-a-fentanyl patch and a pill of diazepam that Mangold reportedly gave to Herdt in the hours before his death were actually the ones that were dismissed. In pleading guilty, however, Mangold acknowledged he’d provided the fentanyl that caused Herdt’s death.

Herdt had reportedly fallen asleep in Mangold’s room after using the patch and taking the pill. Mangold called 911 after noticing that Herdt had stopped breathing and being unable to rouse him.

The delivery charge to which Mangold pleaded guilty relates to a different half-a-patch of fentanyl that he gave Herdt a couple days before his death.

Mangold reportedly told police that he’d been giving, trading or selling his fentanyl to Herdt and a couple other people. A charging affidavit from Powell Police Sgt. Chad Miner says that in an interview in mid-December 2013, Mangold admitted that he continued to distribute some of his medications after Herdt’s death.

Mangold was convicted of delivering marijuana in 2010 and has been on probation for that offense. He spent a few days in jail after the current charges were filed, but was released to house arrest after Park County Detention Center staff were unable to meet his medical needs; Mangold’s lower body is paralyzed.

Judge Cranfill agreed to relax Mangold’s bond conditions on Thursday to allow him to travel around Park County.

The Powell Tribune has shut off comments on this story out of sensitivity and respect for the families involved.

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