Costa Mesa man accused of possession with intent to sell ‘China white’ heroin pleads guilty

A 28-year-old Costa Mesa man accused in September of possession with intent to sell several drugs, including a type of fentanyl-based heroin known as “China white,” pleaded guilty Monday and was sentenced to about 18 months in jail.

Christopher Eugene Miller also was sentenced to three years’ formal probation, according to Orange County Superior Court records.

Miller pleaded guilty to five felony counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. He also admitted to sentencing enhancement allegations of committing offenses while released from custody in another case from August. Two of the drug possession felonies he pleaded guilty to Monday were from the other case.

Miller’s plea came as part of a deal with prosecutors who, in exchange for his guilty plea, dropped an additional felony possession charge, court records show.

Miller was arrested in September after Costa Mesa detectives served a search warrant at his home in the 400 block of Fair Drive as part of a narcotics investigation, police spokeswoman Roxi Fyad said at the time.

Police allege Miller had about 3 grams of fentanyl-based heroin on him and about $1,000 in cash, authorities said.

Inside the home, officers found 2 ounces of China white, 2 ounces of methamphetamine, Xanax pills, plastic baggies, a digital scale, other drug paraphernalia and $8,000 in cash, police said.

Costa Mesa Police Chief Rob Sharpnack said in September that it was the first known arrest for possession of fentanyl-based heroin for sale in Costa Mesa.

“Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous drug and is the most powerful synthetic opioid available,” he said. “It is so powerful that mere inhalation or contact with the skin can cause a drug overdose resulting in death.”

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN