A 21-year-old southern Minnesota man has admitted that he sold a fatal dose of heroin to an addict in exchange for a 55-inch television.

Jordan Flugum, of Austin, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree manslaughter and faces a sentence of more than four years when he learns his fate in Mower County District Court on June 1.

Flugum, who remains jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail, had been charged with third-degree murder in connection with the March 2016 heroin overdose death of Jordon W. Jensen, 20, who died in his home.

Prosecutors in Minnesota in recent years have been more willing to file murder charges against those who provide illicit drugs, even if the supplier does not intend to kill his or her victim.

Jensen's mother called police, who found two capped syringes in Jensen's coat pocket and needle marks on his right arm.

Several weeks later, Flugum told police that Jensen contacted him through Facebook looking for heroin. Flugum said Jensen offered the flat-screen television as payment for the drug.

Jordon W. Jensen

Jensen met an intermediary of Flugum's in Austin, and Flugum and Jensen loaded the television into that person's car. The intermediary gave Flugum about 1 gram of heroin. Jensen and Flugum then each ingested the drug.

Flugum and Jensen were fellow Austin High School students, shared an interest in computers and participated together in the 2013 SkillsUSA Championships in Bloomington.

Flugum took statewide honors in graphic communications, while Jensen was third in the state in computer programming.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482