Photo courtesy of Federal Bureau of Investigation 

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA (MPG) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Sacramento Field Office announces the arrest of Timothy Austin Pannell, 31, of South Lake Tahoe, on a federal complaint for alleged distribution of fentanyl, a felony. An FBI special agent took Pannell into custody on Friday, April 25, 2025, in South Lake Tahoe. This arrest was made possible with assistance from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, El Dorado County Probation, and El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.

On February 12, 2024, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI responded following a 911 call reporting multiple overdoses at a residence in South Lake Tahoe. Three men and one woman were found deceased in the residence. A fifth individual survived the overdose.

According to court documents, Pannell, a.k.a. “Frog,” allegedly sold fentanyl that he represented as cocaine to two of the men in the parking lot of a church in South Lake Tahoe, California, on the night of February 11, 2024.

The charge against Pannell is a mere allegation.  He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.