GAYLORD — A third-degree murder charge was filed Jan. 3 in Sibley County Court against a 25-year-old Arlington man accused of selling pills containing fentanyl that caused the death of a 25-year-old Winthrop man last May.

Unconditional bail for Erick Lee Alvarado was set at $200,000 cash or bond, $15,000 cash or $150,000 bond with conditions Jan. 4. A court hearing was set for 10:30 a.m. Jan. 18.

According to court documents, Winthrop Police Officer Reed Mitchell was dispatched May 21 to 413 West 6th Street in Winthrop for an unresponsive male.

At the scene, officer Mitchell found Jose Roberto Cardenas Jr., 25, on his bed, unresponsive and cold to the touch. Cardenas was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead.

Autopsy toxicology tests confirmed the presence of fentanyl, a powerful narcotic pain medication that can cause loss of consciousness, low blood pressure, coma, severe respiratory depression, and death.

Fentanyl was previously only available as a prescription drug, but has more become more commonly available for illegal purchase. The autopsy determined Cardenas’ cause of death to be attributed to the effects of fentanyl.

During the next five months, Winthrop Police conducted an extensive investigation involving examination of phone, Facebook, Snapchat and other electronic records of communication between Cardenas and others.

The investigation revealed text messages between Cardenas and Alvarado on May 19 and 20. On May 19, Cardenas asked Alvarado to get him some M30s, a percocet-type pill often laced with fentanyl.

Alvarado indicated he could get M30s for $3 a pill. It was determined that Alvarado would get seven pills, keep two for himself, and give Cardenas five pills.

Alvarado told Cardenas to put the money in a pink mailbox at a Gaylord residence. The next day, Alvarado told Cardenas to pick up the pills at his residence in Nicollet in a gas cap compartment of his vehicle.

Cell phone data confirmed that Cardenas was at Alvarado’s residence at 6:08 p.m. May 20. About 12 hours later, Cardenas was found dead with 4 1/2 M30 pills.