Utah man charged in death linked to alleged opioid drug ring

A Utah man accused of running a multimillion operation selling powerful opioids disguised as prescription drugs has been charged in an overdose death.

Prosecutors say in court documents Thursday that a person identified as R.K. died in June 2016 after taking fentanyl, which Aaron Michael Shamo sold disguised as the less-powerful drug Oxycodone.

Defense attorney Greg Skordas says the new charges are “incredibly disappointing and unjustified.”

Meanwhile, prosecutors are striking plea deals with others accused in the drug ring, including a Wednesday agreement with Shamo’s alleged No. 2.

Shamo is accused of making the pills in his suburban basement and selling them online to people all over the country, at one point raking in $2.8 million in less than a year. A trial is set for Jan. 22.