Bonners Ferry woman sentenced to 15 years for providing fentanyl that led to an overdose death

A Bonners Ferry woman will face 15 years in prison for giving a fellow inmate fentanyl that led to her death in jail.

Twyla Dawn Basil, 46, was sentenced Wednesday in Idaho federal court for her involvement in the death of a woman at the Boundary County Jail in 2022, according to a news release from Idaho’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. The woman who died was not identified in the release.

The woman was found dead in her cell with a lethal dose of fentanyl in her system, the release said. Jail staff learned Basil was in custody with the woman shortly before her death and gave her fentanyl that was smuggled into the jail.

“No matter the location or the circumstances, any fentanyl-caused death is an intolerable tragedy,” U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit said in the release. “We have re-doubled our efforts to train law enforcement to help us investigate and prosecute fentanyl deaths. While we are seeing some signs of progress, we will continue the battle against fentanyl for as long as it takes.”