SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif – A South Lake Tahoe man was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday after an investigation into the deaths of four local people during Super Bowl Weekend 2024.
On February 12, 2024, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD), South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office (EDSO), 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.
The FBI Sacramento Field Office announced 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 SLTPD, EDSO and El Dorado County Probation.
According to court documents, Pannell, a.k.a. “Frog,” allegedly sold fentanyl that he represented as cocaine to two men in a church parking lot in South Lake Tahoe, California, on the night of February 11, 2024. Those two men later died with two others after taking the purchase to a home on Roger Avenue.
Found deceased in a home on Roger Avenue were South Lake Tahoe residents Abraham Lemus (34), Adam Joy (35), Keely Pereira (33), and Douglas County, Nev. resident Clifford Joy (38).
The charge against Pannell is a mere allegation. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
An indictment is expected in a week with more details. In the meantime, Pannell has been transported to the federal jail in Sacramento.