FOND DU LAC, Wis. — A Fond du Lac man was sentenced Wednesday to seven years in prison in connection with a fentanyl-related death that occurred in 2017.
Shane Billington, 37, was convicted of second-degree reckless homicide for his role in the death of a man who overdosed on October 7, 2017.
According to court records, the victim ingested fentanyl strips while celebrating his birthday and was later found unresponsive inside a vehicle parked at a Fond du Lac motel. First responders pronounced the man dead at the scene.
Investigators said multiple individuals told detectives that Billington acted as an intermediary in a drug transaction, obtaining fentanyl from another person and supplying it to the victim. The criminal complaint referenced phone records showing contact between Billington and the alleged supplier the day before the overdose.
The Fond du Lac County Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be fentanyl toxicity. Toxicology results confirmed the presence of fentanyl in the victim’s system.
The case remained inactive for several years before being reopened in 2022 after a family member contacted investigators. Court documents state the family member received a message allegedly from Billington expressing remorse over the death. The message was reportedly sent through Facebook Messenger before the account was deleted.
Detectives attempted additional interviews with Billington in 2023, but a scheduled meeting did not take place. Records show Billington was initially taken into custody at the motel scene on an unrelated warrant.
At sentencing, prosecutors sought a longer term of confinement. The court ultimately imposed a sentence of seven years in prison, followed by nine years of extended supervision.
