Sacramento, CA – A Sacramento County deputy escaped a fentanyl overdose in 2023 after consuming drugs collected during an arrest, according to a recent internal review.
Deputy Marvin Morales was discovered unconscious in a sheriff’s department bathroom on October 24, 2023. Initially, investigators assumed he had fainted due to “exposure” to fentanyl, which caused concern and led other deputies to seek rehabilitation. However, the internal report proved that Morales had knowingly consumed the medicine.
The investigation discovered that Morales had seized a tinfoil bundle containing fentanyl during a “suspicious subject stop” earlier that day. Later, while on duty and in uniform, he went into the sheriff’s Central Division Station and inhaled some of the recovered fentanyl with a glass pipe he had obtained.
Another deputy spotted Morales motionless on the restroom floor, beside a glass pipe containing charred residue. Responding cops provided Narcan, and Morales was taken to a hospital, where he recovered.
The investigation also revealed that Morales had previously used seized drugs. On two different instances in August, he falsely reported disposing of drug paraphernalia when, in fact, he had inhaled the residue from a methamphetamine pipe. He stated he did this to get “energy” for writing reports.
Toxicology findings suggested chronic drug usage, which contradicted Morales’ statements. Morales resigned on February 2, 2024, after the report’s recommendation for his firing. He also willingly gave up his peace officer certification this month.
Morales expressed regret in an internal interview, particularly for the impact on his colleagues who sought treatment following his overdose. He claimed he overdosed in the restroom expressly to avoid being noticed by the public.
