Grand Forks Woman Denies Fatal Fentanyl Sale

Grand Forks (trfnews.i234.me) — A Grand Forks woman has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge tied to a fatal fentanyl overdose.

Taumi Cheree Vitell, 43, waived her Monday, May 11, preliminary hearing. She then entered a not guilty plea.

Vitell is charged with Class A felony distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison.

Fatal Overdose Investigation

The case stems from an Oct. 17, 2024, call in Grand Forks.

The Grand Forks Police Department was sent to a residence at about 3 p.m.

A woman reported finding her boyfriend lying face down on a bed.

Investigators later found methamphetamine, fentanyl residue, and drug items inside the home.

They also recovered the man’s cell phone.

According to a court summary, the phone included messages between the man and Vitell.

Those messages allegedly showed Vitell sold him fentanyl within one or two days of his death.

Vitell denied bringing narcotics to the man’s residence.

Phone Records Cited

A forensic download of Vitell’s phone also became part of the case.

The summary said she deleted all communication between herself and the deceased man.

It also said she blocked him on Facebook after his death.

Location data allegedly placed Vitell at the man’s residence three times.

Those visits reportedly happened during the early morning hours on the day he died.

Vitell has not been convicted. The charge remains an allegation in court.

More information on North Dakota court records is available through the North Dakota Court System.

Federal information about fentanyl risks is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Next Court Hearing

Vitell’s next hearing is a final dispositional conference.

It is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 6.

That hearing is her final chance to change her plea under a possible plea agreement.

Any later plea change would be considered an open plea.

In that case, the judge would decide the sentence.

I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.

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