A Jackson County man has been sentenced for his role in a fatal drug overdose that occurred near Black River Falls.
Aspen Kalina, 34, was sentenced on Friday to seven years of initial confinement and five years of extended supervision after pleading guilty as part of a plea deal. Kalina was originally charged with first-degree reckless homicide in connection with the death of another man at the Wazee Treatment House.
The incident occurred last year when the victim was found unresponsive in a bathroom at the treatment facility. An autopsy revealed the presence of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the victim’s system.
According to witness testimony, Kalina had arranged a drug deal with the victim over the phone and warned that the drugs were “super strong.” That warning, coupled with the toxicology results, led authorities to file homicide charges against Kalina for providing the lethal combination of substances.
The sentence reflects a growing trend among Wisconsin prosecutors to pursue homicide charges in fatal overdose cases, particularly those involving fentanyl—a drug responsible for a surge in overdose deaths nationwide.
Kalina will serve seven years in prison, followed by five years of extended supervision under the terms of his plea agreement.
