3 charged, 4th sought in North Dakota heroin overdoses

WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) - Authorities have linked a Chicago-based heroin ring to a recent string of overdoses in the North Dakota oil patch hub of Williston.

Three men have been charged in the case and police are searching for a fourth. At least two of the suspects are from Chicago.

The overdoses earlier this month killed one person and sent eight others to the hospital over a six-day period. Officials suspect the heroin was laced with another drug or ingredient to make it more potent.

State investigators linked the suspects to an alleged drug operation known for selling a pure form of heroin that's often mixed with other powerful substances, including the painkiller fentanyl, the Williston Herald reported (http://bit.ly/1JHOFic ).

Timothy Amundson, 31, Tanner Nielsen, 22, and Sylvester McCurry, 21, all face a felony drug conspiracy charge that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. A warrant was issued Wednesday for Jamelle Edwards, 22, on the same charge.

Court documents list Amundson and Nielson as being from Williston and McCurry and Edwards as being from Chicago. The documents do not list attorneys for any of the men. The Associated Press on Thursday left messages seeking comment from the men at the Williams County Jail in Williston.

The man who overdosed and died was 30 years old. Police did not identify him. The others who overdosed ranged in age from 25 to 45. They all have been released from the hospital.

Williston police, an area drug task force and the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation are investigating the case.

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Information from: Williston Herald, http://www.willistonherald.com