On February 8, 2024, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Gregory Silver sentenced Bret Mitchell Hollmann to four years in prison, nearly the maximum allowed under Oregon law for this type of felony. This sentence comes after the defendant pleaded guilty to Assault in the Third Degree and Unlawful Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance – substantial quantities. Deputy District Attorney Matt Wise prosecuted the case against Mr. Hollmann.
On March 13, 2023, the defendant and his fiancé, Megan Elizabeth Meek, began their day by smoking fentanyl pills that Hollman purchased. Their two-year-old daughter was with them. Later that day, they decided to take the child to a babysitter so they could go shopping. They stopped at an area business along the way. Ms. Meek then went inside to make a purchase. When she returned to the vehicle, she put her bag containing multiple fentanyl pills and other drug paraphernalia in the backseat within reach of the toddler. The child was able to gain access to the pills and swallowed several of them.
When the defendant arrived at his ultimate destination, he and Ms. Meek noticed the child was actively overdosing on fentanyl. When officers from the Beaverton Police Department arrived, the child was unconscious, not breathing, and had no detectable pulse. The defendant told officers the child needed to have her stomach pumped. The defendant and Ms. Meek told officers that her daughter had swallowed the fentanyl pills.
Officers administered two doses of Narcan to the child and saved the child’s life. She responded to the medication but overdosed again once she reached the hospital due to the sheer amount of fentanyl in her system. Hospital staff had to put the victim on a Narcan drip for a full day to keep her alive.
Mr. Hollmann admitted to officers that he purchased the fentanyl pills. He was caught smoking additional fentanyl at the hospital while his daughter was undergoing treatment and was removed from the facility.
“This case is yet one more reason, in a long and growing list of reasons, why lawmakers need to fix Oregon’s drug addiction and decriminalization crisis,” said Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton. “I am hopeful the legislature takes immediate action to fix Measure 110 in a way that will produce results in our communities and save lives.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Mr. Hollmann was also ordered to serve two years of post-prison supervision and to undergo drug treatment.
Ms. Meek is currently scheduled to stand trial in April.
