GALVESTON, Texas — A man has been arrested and charged after Galveston police said he sold fentanyl-laced cocaine to two men who died from overdoses on Christmas.
The victims were found unconscious within miles of each other along Seawall Boulevard and police said they both got the drugs from the same person at the same party. They both later died at area hospitals.
Patrick Miller was identified as the dealer and has been charged with two counts of manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance. His combined bond is $200,000 and additional charges are expected, according to investigators.
What happened
On Christmas around 7:20 p.m., police said they responded to calls for service regarding an overdose along Seawall near 83rd Street.
That's where first responders found Vadim Birca unconscious. Life-saving measures were started and Birca was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead from a suspected overdose.
Birca, 31, lived in Galveston and was on a work visa, according to Galveston police.
Investigators said they found a bag of what was believed to be cocaine on him at the time of his death.
About 20 minutes later, officers responded to reports of another unconscious man at the Rainforest Cafe along Seawall near 53rd Street -- about 2 miles away from where Birca was found.
That's where they found Dimitrije Gudovski, who was also given life-saving treatment and was taken to an area hospital. He died from what doctors called a suspected overdose.
Gudovski, 34, was also living in Galveston on a work visa, authorities said.
Investigators also said they found a bag of what was believed to be cocaine on him at the time of his death. The bag was similar to the one found on Birca.
The connection
The bags of drugs that were found on the victims were tested and came back positive for fentanyl.
"Right now, you have these counterfeit pills out there looking like oxycontin, looking like Xanax, and you may be taking something that you think will only give you a high for 30 minutes or for one hour, but can actually put you to sleep for the rest of your life because the drug cartel doesn't care," FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Field Office Daniel Comeaux said.
Investigators said they were able to determine that both Birca and Gudovski were at the same Christmas party along Seawall near 83rd Street and both victims bought the drugs from Miller.
"Vadim Birca and Dimitrije Gudovski were both reported to be acquaintances and attended the same holiday gathering at the 8300 block of Seawall Boulevard. Investigators quickly mobilized and began linking the two cases and determined both Birca and Gudovski purchased narcotics from the same supplier," Galveston PD Sgt. Derek Gaspard said.
Galveston police and the Drug Enforcement Agency said they joined forces to trace the drugs and arrest Miller.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 71,000 people died of fentanyl poisoning in 2021.
Here's the update Galveston police and the DEA provided after Miller's arrest:
More victims?
Investigators said they think there could be more victims.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Galveston Police Department's non-emergency line at 409-765-3702 or Galveston County Crime Stoppers at 409-763-8477. You can also provide information at galveston.crimestoppersweb.com.