Ocean Beach man is sentenced to over 15 years in prison for fatal fentanyl sale

An Ocean Beach man was sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl that caused another man’s fatal overdose.

Alexander Michael Randise, 29, pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and was sentenced Jan. 13 to 188 months in prison for providing fentanyl-laced pills that resulted in the death of Tyber Joseph Lustig, 30.

According to Randise’s plea agreement, he provided four counterfeit M-30 pills laced with fentanyl to Lustig on Dec. 11, 2021.

Prosecutors said Randise had been selling fentanyl-laced pills to Lustig and other people for at least a year before Lustig’s death. One time when he sold pills to Lustig, Randise told him to “be careful” because the pills were “[really] strong,” according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

One of the defendant’s homes was searched last year and police seized about 680 counterfeit pills, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

“Fentanyl has taken so many lives. Our community lost another bright and extremely talented young man to this epidemic,” U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said in a statement. “We stand together with our law enforcement partners in stating directly: If you choose to sell drugs and a death results, you will be held accountable for that death.”