7 Natural Home Remedies for Sinus Infection and Pain
15 Days In Jail For McHenry Man Who Gave Pills To Wonder Lake Man Day Before His Overdose Death
© Provided by Lake and McHenry County Scanner 
© Provided by Lake and McHenry County Scanner Cody J. Kallerud, 28, of McHenry. A McHenry man has been sentenced to 15 days in jail after pleading guilty to giving pills to a Wonder Lake man the day before the victim's overdose death.
Cody J. Kallerud, 28, of McHenry, was charged in December 2020 with drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony, and unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a Class 3 felony.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges Kallerud delivered Xanax to Cody Williams on September 25, 2020.
Williams ingested the substance and died as a result, the complaint said.
McHenry County Assistant State's Attorney Brian Miller said Williams was found dead at his home in Wonder Lake on September 26, 2020, one day after the delivery of the drugs.
Blue Xanax pills were located in Williams' room, including one near his body, Miller said.
Investigators reviewed Williams' cell phone and found a text message conversation between Kallerud and Williams.
Williams had arranged to acquire Xanax pills from Kallerud, Miller said.
Miller said that Kallerud admitted to providing blue Xanax pills to Williams on the night before Williams was found dead.
Investigators found a large number of blue Xanax pills in Kallerud's bedroom shortly after Williams died.
An autopsy showed that Williams died from the combined effect of numerous drugs in his system, one of which was Xanax.
The McHenry County Sheriff's Office investigated the case and arrested Kallerud in early December 2020.
Kallerud was released from the McHenry County Jail after posting 10% of his $90,000 bond.
Court records show he entered into a blind plea deal with the McHenry County State's Attorney's Office in early March.
Kallerud pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a Class 3 felony, in exchange for his other charge being dismissed.
McHenry County Judge James Cowlin sentenced Kallerud on April 28 to 180 days in the county jail and 24 months of probation.
Cowlin stayed 112 days of the jail sentence and gave him credit for 19 days already served. Kallerud also received day-for-day credit.
Kallerud's effective jail sentence is 15 days unless he fails to comply with his sentence terms, at which time Cowlin could impose the jail sentence that was stayed.
Kallerud will be required to undergo drug and alcohol testing as part of his sentencing and he will be required to complete all recommended treatment from a substance abuse evaluation.
Xanax, A Common Anxiety Medication, Might Actually Block Coronavirus
The novel coronavirus pandemic brought plenty of sorrow and pain, as we learned how devastating COVID-19 can be. But there's been plenty of good in all of this, and that doesn't have to go unnoticed. It's not just what the armies of doctors and first responders have been doing for the past few months, but also the immense amount of work that researchers put into studying SARS-CoV-2 to find ways to limit the transmission, and cure COVID-19 much faster than what is currently possible. Therapy protocols are already being used successfully around the world to save patients. Plasma transfusions work and antibody-based drugs are in the works. Several vaccine trials have progressed faster than we would have imagined, and the world is optimistic about their chances of success.
The work hasn't stopped there, as researchers are still trying to figure out how to neutralize the virus once it infects the body. Scientists have looked at specific characteristics in meds that could hinder the virus's ability to replicate inside cells, and they have shortlisted seven existing human and animal drugs that might do the trick. The list includes the extremely common anxiety drug Alprazolam (Xanax), as well as six other meds, two of which have already shown promising results in labs.
Researchers from universities around Barcelona, Spain searched for existing drugs that could block the main protease (M-pro) of the virus, which plays a key role in the whole replication process. The coronavirus binds to cells via ACE2 receptors and takes over the cell to manufacture replicas. The cell dies in the process, and the new copies of the virus can infect other nearby cells. Most immune systems can put up a fight, whether they're helped by drugs or not. But some people can't fight the disease well enough, or the immune response is exacerbated and can lead to death.
Microscopic image of the novel coronavirus (colored in blue) killing a cell. Image source: Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT Stopping the virus from binding to cells is something monoclonal antibodies drugs will do, as will post-COVID-19 immunity. But drugs that can limit the virus's ability to replicate could also help in future therapies.
The team analyzed 6,466 drugs that are authorized for use, looking for the ones that can inhibit the M-pro enzyme. The researchers used a computational screening method to isolate the approved drugs that could work in COVID-19 therapies, Knowridge reports. The research predicted seven drugs could act as inhibitors, including perampanel, carprofen, celecoxib, alprazolam, trovafloxacin, sarafloxacin, and ethyl biscoumacetate. Some people will instantly recognize a few of these drugs because they might be using them for themselves or their pets. Alprazolam might stand out of the pack, as that's the generic name of Xanax, a well-known anxiety treatment that is used by millions.
Ethyl biscoumacetate is also a highlight because it's a drug that can be used as an anticoagulant. Separate studies have shown that COVID-19 leads to severe blood clotting and potentially life-threatening complications, including strokes and heart attacks.
Trovafloxacin and sarafloxacin are antibiotics, and perampanel is an antiepileptic.
But what the researchers ended up testing in labs are carprofen and celecoxib, both nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs. The only real difference between these drugs is that the former is for animal use. What's interesting is that some doctors said a few months ago that NSAIDs could be a risk factor for COVID-19, although research that followed indicated that isn't the case at all.
The Spanish researchers have shared the results with the international initiative COVID Moonshot, which selected the NSAIDs above for testing.
The results found that just 50 μM of celecoxib or carprofen would be enough to inhibit the in-vitro activity of M-pro by 11.90% and 3.97%, respectively. Both molecules could be used in the future for therapies, although more research will be required.
The remaining drugs could be tested soon, Knowridge says. That said, there's no proof that Xanax might improve the condition of COVID-19 patients or that it can prevent a severe outcome. The same goes for the other meds mentioned above, if they're still available to consumers — sarafloxacin was discontinued in 2001, and carprofen is for veterinary use. Xanax might be the most used molecule of the seven, though it's a drug that can have serious side-effects when combined with other substances, including alcohol.
One of the things scientists are also looking at is the drug-drug chemical reactions that may appear in COVID-19 patients, where the meds for an underlying condition could interact with the experimental drugs that are studied. Undark has a great article on the subject, describing the various potential drug interactions. Widely prescribed medications in psychiatry such as Xanax can also be highly interactive with some other COVID-19 therapies being tested.
Atascadero Teen Died After Taking Fentanyl. The Dealer Just Pleaded Guilty To A Federal Charge
Jun. 1—A Paso Robles man who sold a fake painkiller to an Atascadero teenager, resulting in the teen's death from fentanyl poisoning, pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge Tuesday, court documents show.
Timothy Clarke Wolfe, 25, was originally charged with second-degree murder by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office in May 2020 for causing the death of 19-year-old Emilio Velci.
The federal government took over the case in August 2021, charging Wolfe with one count of distributing fentanyl causing death and one charge of possession of the anti-anxiety drug alprazolam, also known by the brand name Xanax, with intent to sell.
Wolfe pleaded not guilty to all charges up to this point. On Tuesday, he entered a guilty plea to one count of distributing fentanyl, court documents show.
Drug dealer admits to being responsible for teen's death
Wolfe overheard Velci talking about Xanax at a restaurant in Paso Robles on March 5, 2020, the plea agreement said.
According to Velci's mother, Cammie Velci, her son was talking about tooth pain he had been experiencing.
Wolfe, a drug dealer, then approached Velci and offered to sell the teen oxycodone, court documents said. The two exchanged Snapchat usernames to arrange a future sale.
Velci and Wolfe had never spoken prior, Velci's mother said, and her son was not aware that Wolfe was a regular drug dealer.
Three days later, on March 8, 2020, Wolfe met Velci outside the same restaurant and sold Velci three blue pills for $75, the plea agreement said.
Wolfe told Velci the pills were Percocet, according to court documents, but knew the pills contained fentanyl.
Wolfe never disclosed to Velci that the pills contained anything other than Percocet, court documents said.
Velci drove home from the drug sale with his brother and took one of the three pills on the way home, according to court documents.
He passed out while watching a movie with his brother around 8 p.M., court documents said. Both of Velci's brothers and his roommate checked to ensure Velci was still breathing before they went to bed.
But the next morning, around 7 a.M., court documents said, the three found Velci dead.
Investigators found Velci died as a result of fentanyl intoxication caused by the pill Wolfe sold.
At Wolfe's home, court documents say, investigators found a backpack with a digital scale and plastic bag containing 1.59 grams of alprazolam, known as the brand name Xanax, as well as 0.56 grams of baclofen, a skeletal muscle relaxant, and 0.79 grams of promethazine, an allergy medication that can also be used for sedation.
Wolfe admitted to "knowingly and intentionally" selling fentanyl to Velci, the plea agreement shows.
Wolfe also agreed that he distributed fentanyl causing death, a more serious offense.
Because of this, the plea agreement said, Wolfe will be sentenced under the guidelines for fentanyl causing death, despite only being convicted of distributing fentanyl.
Wolfe faces up to 20 years in prison, supervised release for the rest of his life and a fine of $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, the plea agreement said, plus a mandatory special assessment of $100.
Under the agreement, Wolfe must also pay full restitution to the victims of his crime — in this case Velci's family — which is estimated to be $50,000. The restitution amount can change based if new facts come to light before the sentencing.
Wolfe is currently free on a $150,000 bond, U.S. Attorney's Office spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy wrote in an email, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7.
This story was originally published May 30, 2023, 1:50 PM.
(c)2023 The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Comments
Post a Comment