Fairbanks man pleads guilty to distributing fentanyl resulting in a fatal overdose

Press Release

The defendant is one of over 60 charged in large-scale drug trafficking ring targeting Alaska.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A Fairbanks man pleaded guilty today to distributing fentanyl to a local man resulting in his death.

According to court documents, beginning in May 2022 and continuing to July 2022, Edward Ginnis, 39, agreed with co-conspirators to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances in the Fairbanks area. Specifically, Ginnis would distribute controlled substances to a co-conspirator, who then would sell the substances to others.

Sometime before June 26, 2022, pursuant to this conspiracy, Ginnis supplied controlled substances for redistribution to a co-defendant. The controlled substances looked like heroin but contained fentanyl. On June 26, 2022, a Fairbanks man purchased some of the fentanyl originating from Ginnis. The man used the fentanyl and died of an overdose.

On July 14, 2022, Ginnis was arrested in Fairbanks in possession of fentanyl that he intended to distribute to others in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.

Ginnis is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting U.S. Attorney William Narus of the District of Oregon made the announcement.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska has been recused from this case with the exception of certain personnel. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Clymer from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York has been appointed as Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General to assist with this and other recused cases. He reports to and acts under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, or his delegee, or Acting U.S. Attorney Narus in these cases. Special Attorney Clymer supervises personnel from the District of Alaska who have been exempted from the recusal.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Alaska State Troopers investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alana Weber, Stephan Collins and Chris Schroeder from the District of Alaska are prosecuting the case.

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Updated April 3, 2025