South OC Man Faces Federal Charges In Fentanyl Overdose Of Huntington Beach Man

MISSION VIEJO, CA — The US Attorney and the Drug Enforcement Agency filed federal charges Tuesday against a man accused of selling fentanyl to a now deceased 27-year-old Huntington Beach man.

The Orange County incident was one of 12 cases that officials announced charges for against 13 defendants throughout California. Officials said they wanted to highlight these cases to bring more awareness to the ongoing fentanyl crisis that has taken the lives of many students across the country.

"We are fully committed to combating the fentanyl crisis, which is wreaking so much destruction across this nation," said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. "The deadly risks of fentanyl are well known. The cases announced today charge drug dealers who have caused the death or injury of others, and thereby prioritized greed over human life."

The man was identified as 31-year-old John Nicholas Varvara, of Mission Viejo. He was arrested on March 1 on charges of distributing fentanyl resulting in death, according to the Department of Justice report.

The charge stems from a Dec. 5 2021 drug sale to a 27-year-old man who died at his father's Huntington Beach residence two days later.

The incident is currently being investigated by the DEA and the Huntington Beach Police Department, reports said.