Grace Kohler, 23, and Elizabeth Brown, 24, both residents of Boulder, Colorado, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to import a controlled substance from Mexico into the United States. The plea was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
According to court documents, on August 12, 2021, Kohler and Brown traveled with another woman to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. While there, they communicated with a friend in Boulder identified as J.B., who requested oxycodone pills from a local pharmacy. Kohler purchased 30 pills labeled as oxycodone for $300 using her credit card and was later reimbursed by J.B. via Venmo. Brown assisted by translating during the transaction at the pharmacy.
The women concealed the pills in containers such as those for multivitamins and cold medicine before returning to the United States on August 17, 2021. Upon arrival in Denver, they did not declare the substances to U.S. Customs officials. They then delivered the pills to J.B. at his workplace in Boulder.
On August 18, Boulder Police found J.B. deceased in his bedroom after being alerted by his roommate. Officers discovered a bag containing 29 pills marked “M” and “30,” which appeared to be counterfeit oxycodone tablets. Laboratory analysis later confirmed that these pills contained fentanyl rather than oxycodone. The Boulder County Coroner’s Office determined that J.B.’s cause of death was fentanyl intoxication.
U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan commented on the case: “This tragic death is only one example of the lethal epidemic of fentanyl overdoses,” he said. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to raise public awareness and deter distribution of this deadly poison.”
DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge David Olesky emphasized the dangers of obtaining medications outside regulated channels: “The only safe and reliable place to get legitimate prescription medications is from a trusted and licensed pharmacist within the United States,” he stated. “The cartels are driving addiction across our country through the trafficking of fentanyl. This is precisely why DEA launched its One Pill Can Kill Campaign in 2021. Today, 70 percent of the pills seized by DEA contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. We can’t say it enough – don’t purchase pills on social media or take a pill provided by a ‘friend’.”
Commander Nick Goldberger of the Boulder County Drug Task Force also warned about illegally obtained drugs: “The influx of illegal drugs, and drugs containing fentanyl, in the United States has increased over the years and, unfortunately, we have seen incidents of overdoses and tragically we have also had deaths occur,” he said. “You should only obtain prescribed medication from a legitimate pharmacy, and under a doctor’s care, to reduce your risk of taking something that may contain fentanyl.”
Boulder Police Deputy Chief Steve Redfearn highlighted law enforcement efforts: “Fentanyl has taken and destroyed many lives in this country and sadly our community is not immune. I’m proud of the strong policework our officers did in this case to find the suppliers of these drugs,” he said. “We truly value the great relationships we have with our federal, state, and local partners in combatting this deadly epidemic.”
Elizabeth Brown is scheduled for sentencing on March 1, 2024; Grace Kohler will be sentenced on March 7, 2024. Sentencing decisions will be made by a United States District Judge based on federal guidelines.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, and Boulder County Drug Task Force.
