Arizona man convicted of drug sales that resulted in death of person

PHOENIX – A Camp Verde man was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison and three years probation for selling drugs that resulted in the death of a person, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona announced.

Robert Don Schield, 40, sold six fentanyl pills and 10 grams of methamphetamine to a woman in February 2022. The woman was found unconscious and not breathing when her boyfriend found her the next morning. After the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office (YCSO) arrived at the scene, the coroner ruled the cause of death to be methamphetamine and fentanyl poisoning.

“This defendant's actions resulted in a tragic death,” said Cheri Oz, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, in a press release. “The DEA will not stop working with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities and hold those responsible for distributing deadly and dangerous drugs accountable.”

Schield was arrested in March 2022 after selling the same type of drugs to another person for $300.

“We cannot allow those who introduce poison into Arizona's communities to go unpunished,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “One pill can kill, and that's why a small drug transaction can lead to a long prison sentence.”

In May 2024, Schield pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, resulting in an overdose death.

The DEA and YCSO conducted the investigation.

The Arizona Department of Health Services reports 665 opioid deaths and 4,781 emergency room and inpatient visits for suspected opioid overdose in 2024.

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