“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat
A Yoncalla-area husband and wife who were linked to the overdose death of a man they had sold drugs to for over a year were sentenced to federal prison today, according to the Oregon District of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to court documents, in May 2018 detectives from the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team learned that a man had recently been released from a residential drug treatment program, and had visited the home of Brian Joseph Ramos, 49, and Christine Marie Ramos, 41, both of Yoncalla.
Officials said that later the same day, the man passed away from fentanyl poisoning. Officials said officers interviewed the Ramoses, who confirmed the man had visited them but denied giving him drugs. Authorities said Christine Ramos admitted to selling the man drugs for up to two years prior, stopped at one point when she learned he was injecting the drugs she gave him, but eventually resumed.
Detectives said they searched the Ramoses’ home and found several dozen grams of methamphetamine, 260 pills, drug paraphernalia, and digital scales. They also said they found fentanyl pills in the Ramoses’ vehicles, and evidence recovered from Brian Ramos’ phone that showed he had in fact sold a pill to the man who passed away from an overdose.
Authorities said that in August 2018 the couple was charged with conspiring with one another to possess with intent to distribute drugs, and on March 29, 2021 both waived indictment and pleaded guilty. On November 29, 2022, Christine Ramos was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison, and Brian Ramos was sentenced to five years and ten months in federal prison. Both will serve five years of probation after their stay in prison.
