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Guilty plea reveals details of Atascadero teen’s death

May 30, 2023

By KAREN VELIE

A Paso Robles man pleaded guilty in a Los Angeles federal court on Tuesday morning to selling the fentanyl that caused the death of an Atascadero teen.

In a plea agreement reached May 24, Timothy Clark Wolfe, 25, of Paso Robles Wolfe admits that he knowingly and intentionally sold fentanyl to 19-year-old Emilio Velci of Atascadero, who later died from an overdose. Wolfe also admits to deceiving Velci.

At a Paso Robles restaurant on March 5, 2020, Wolfe overheard Velci discussing Xanax. Wolfe, a drug dealer, approached Velci and offered to sell him Oxycodone. Wolfe then gave Velci his Snapchat username to arrange a future sale.

Three days later, Velci and Wolfe met outside the same restaurant where Wolfe sold Velci three blue pills he claimed were percocet for $75. The pills, however, contained fentanyl.

While driving home from the restaurant with his brother, Velci took one of the pills. Later that night, the brothers and a roommate were watching a movie when Velci passed out.

The next morning, the roommates discovered Velci had died during the night.

In 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles indicted Wolfe for second-degree murder, which if found guilty he would have faced a minimum of 20 years in prison.

Wolfe, however, pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl, which has a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7. He remains out of jail on $150,000 bail.


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In my opinion Mr. Wolfe DOES NOT deserve possible 10-20 years in prison. I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet he did not know his pills were Mexican bootleg fentanyl, even if he did, it appears himself and several of his former buyers survived doses that he sold. Remember not everyone that took his pills died. Mr. Velci unfortunately ingested a “bad one” and deserves responsibility for even taking the crap. Any person that takes fentanyl is playing with their life. I’m sure Tom Petty and Prince would recommend not taking it…. if they were still alive. Mr. Wolfe deserves some time in prison, I won’t dispute but not 10-20 years.


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In a plea agreement reached May 24, Timothy Clark Wolfe, 25, of Paso Robles Wolfe admits that he knowingly and intentionally sold fentanyl to 19-year-old Emilio Velci of Atascadero, who later died from an overdose. Wolfe also admits to deceiving Velci.





14

He had no idea what he was selling, other than it was illegal. People willingly buy illegal drugs, then all the blame is on the seller when things go wrong? You are not operating within the system and there are no safeguards. While more cautious in recent times, a doctor will still prescribe painkillers when necessary. I got them for my shoulder surgery and a dental procedure. No problem. I got the pills from Rite Aid, not “some guy”.


-6

I’m thinking the only reason why his “former buyers” survived is because they have already built up a tolerance for the fentanyl. Otherwise they would probably be dead too. Wolfe knew where the pills were from. He valued Velci’s life at $75. He deserves to be in for the Max. If enough dealers get long enough terms, maybe they will think twice before selling deadly drugs.


12

It’s an absolute travesty of Justice that predator Wolfe was able to skate on the second-degree murder charge. Drug dealer Timothy Clark Wolfe will return to his anti-social criminal ways and resume drug dealing when he is released from his prison sentence in less than about 10 years. Anyone dealing deadly drugs (and intentionally being deceptive about their lethality) should face Capital Murder charges.


20

And if you want to buy dope from him, feel free to do so, buyer beware. You can buy a used car from a dealer, or some guy who jammed a bunch of banana peels in the transmission to mask the grinding noise, your choice.


-5