This post has been updated to reflect the deceased’s name and drugs involved.
Twisp Interim Chief Doug Johnson confirmed another death from a drug overdose last weekend in Twisp. The deceased, Larry Karvoski, died from an accidental overdose of the combined effects of fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to Okanogan County Coroner David Rodriguez.
This marks the third opioid overdose death in Twisp in four months, but there are more overdoses that are unreported.
The deceased was three days shy from his 32nd birthday, according to a Facebook post by his mother. This was his third and final overdose, according to a person that knew him who spoke to MVE.
Sgt. Josh Petker of the North Central Washington Task Force (NCWT), which investigates and arrests high level drug dealers in Okanogan and Ferry Counties, says it’s not an increase in use that is contributing to fatal overdoses but an increase in potency.
“We have a fentanyl problem,” he said bluntly.
Petker said cartels created a shortage of heroin and pushed fentanyl. Fentanyl can be 50-100 times more potent than heroin, depending on the batch. Now, there is a bigger player in the game- carfentanyl, which in animal studies has been shown to be 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 more potent than morphine. It is used as a tranquilizer for elephants and other large mammals.
Petker said his task force is finding “a lot less pills and more powder,” which makes dosing for an addict a lot harder. Users are guessing the dose, which makes the stakes deadly. Multiple doses of naloxone, the active ingredient in the brand name Narcan, may not be effective.
The deceased was alone when he died, according to the sheriff’s log. Even if it had worked, there was no one to administer the Narcan.
During a council meeting Tuesday evening, Twisp Councilmember Tim Matsui talked about streamlining referrals for Suboxone, used to treat opioid addiction. However, Twisp Interim Chief Doug Johnson, in an interview with MVE, said historically, the biggest referrer for treatment has been arrests.
Legislation passed by Olympia in 2023 reduced drug possession from a felony to a gross misdemeanor. (Drug manufacture and distribution remain felonies.) The maximum penalty for the first two convictions is 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Beginning with the third conviction, an individual may be sentenced up to 364 days in jail. Johnson called the change from a felony to misdemeanor “catastrophic.”
While overdose deaths nationwide declined 10% between April 2023 and April 2024, they increased 14% in Washington. In Oregon, where small amounts of drugs were decriminalized in 2021, overdose deaths increased 22%. Oregon repealed this law last year and possession has been recriminalized.
Johnson agrees with the saying that “you can’t arrest your way out of a narcotics problem,” but by reducing drug possession charges from a felony to a gross misdemeanor, “we are unfortunately fighting an uphill battle.”
Under the revised drug law, referrals for drug treatment during pre-trial need the agreement of the prosecutor. A judge may order drug treatment as part of sentencing post-trial. The types of services one receives depend on the resources of each county, and the Association of Washington Cities says treatment will depend on geography.
NCWT focuses on high level dealers in Okanogan and Ferry Counties, often apprehending suspects through direct drug purchases. They also investigate narcotics smuggling, human trafficking and money laundering.
NCWT currently operates with two detectives, a sergeant, and an administrative assistant to cover Okanogan and Ferry Counties. Their total budget of $350,000 isn’t enough to run the task force, so it relies on local law enforcement for staffing. Petker is employed by the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office while his two detectives are employed by border patrol and tribal police.
The Winthrop’s Marshal Office contributed a deputy two days a week for a year before it pulled out in 2023. Petker said the task force opened a lot of cases during that time period.
In 2023, NCWT received the prestigious Agency of the Year Award by Western States Information Network, a regional information sharing network for Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska and Hawaii. Petker said they received the award not because of the volume they were able to seize, but “what we did with three and a half employees.”
Johnson, who was Winthrop Marshal from 2019-2023, said NCWT “is absolutely key to enforcement in the Methow Valley. We were not able to do what we did without their assistance.”
“In Methow Valley, when we worked with the task force, we sent people to prison for narcotics trafficking,” he said. When asked if the valley should partner with NCWT, Johnson said unequivocally, “I would support and encourage it.”
Winthrop Marshal Ty Sheehan said he doesn’t have enough personnel to assign someone to a task force position. Johnson is working on rebuilding the Twisp police department.
The Okanogan County Prosecutors Office has “an exceptional conviction rate” for task force cases, according to the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office website.
Money seized by the task force is by law directed toward drug work. This is becoming more complicated as kingpins hold less cash and increasingly operate with digital currencies. Tracking these funds takes a specialized detective, which the task force doesn’t have but whose position could be paid for with seized funds.
“Even in Okanogan County, we’re not far away from having to get electronic currency to buy drugs,” said Petker.
The task force’s funding, which comes from a federal grant, has to be re-allocated each year. In the last budget cycle, some of those funds were diverted to other programs that also qualify for the grant. The task force receives funds from member towns and cities. Twisp and Winthrop contribute $5,000 each annually, but the task force also relies on state funding, said Petker. The task force is also applying for funding from opioid pharmacy and manufacturer settlements.
Petker, who has been on the task force for nine years and has worked in Okanogan County for 17 years, said asset seizures can hurt high level drug dealers, even when they don’t get big sentences. Having four more detectives “would make a noticeable impact in the county.”
Narcan, which was developed for heroin overdoses, has proven effective for fentanyl, but it is not a cure-all. As the potency of synthetic opioids have become stronger, the time frame to administer the drug has become shorter and its ability to revive less certain. Petker said an addict recently received six applications of Narcan before he “came out on the sixth one.”
There is no set time frame between applications, and Narcan is a common sight now in drug houses, said Petker.
“Any time we go to drug houses, we see Narcan. That’s great,” he said.
Police officers carry nasal sprays of the drug while ambulances carry injectables. Narcan blocks opiate receptors and, if effective, puts the subject in immediate withdrawal. Applications are re-administered if there is no response. It has not been shown to have significant side effects, and it may need to be readministered if it wears off before the effect of the opiate. Reviving someone does not mean the person won’t fall back into an unconscious, life threatening state.
For law enforcement, they are often the first to witness the effects of a deep-rooted problem.
“There’s a level of frustration with some decisions and laws that have been passed, especially when the situation is getting worse and we have to respond to that,” said Johnson.
Great informative article. Thanks Julia.
Thanks Mike.