Fresh out of a detox facility, a 33-year-old man met up with a drug supplier and fatally overdosed from chewing on a fentanyl patch, according to prosecutors.

Amanda W. Lauer, 35, of St. Cloud, remained held Tuesday in the Stearns County jail on a third-degree murder charge in connection with the death in April of Ryan S. Boen, also of St. Cloud.

The criminal complaint noted that Lauer admitted to law enforcement that she routinely provides illicit controlled substances to numerous people. Investigators searched her phone and discovered that she deals in such potent prescription medications as Xanax and Percocet, along with fentanyl and others.

Boen's death from a Fentanyl overdose comes amid an epidemic of deaths in Minnesota and elsewhere from the abuse of ill-gotten opiates. There were 35 deaths related to fentanyl in Minnesota last year, compared with one in 2000, according to state death certificate data.

The synthetic opioid is 100 times more powerful than morphine. Administered by injection, lozenge or patch to treat severe pain after surgery and to manage chronic pain, the controlled substance is commonly sold illegally and misused by addicts.

Later in the same week that Boen died, Prince was found dead at his Paisley Park complex from an accidental overdose of fentanyl.

According to the complaint against Lauer:

Authorities arrived on April 20 at Boen's home, where he lived with his mother, and found him dead. She said she drove Ryan home from detox the previous day.

Boen immediately called Lauer, and she soon showed up with fentanyl patches at his request. Boen's mother watched as he chewed one of the patches.

Lauer admitted having provided Boen with the fentanyl numerous times. A message was left with her attorney seeking a response to the charge.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482