Thorp: man charged after selling fentanyl to undercover officers

A Tulsa man was arrested and charged with fentanyl distribution after a weekslong investigation by several law enforcement agencies.

The joint investigation included the District 27 Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and sheriff’s deputies from Adair, Wagoner, and Cherokee counties.

Mark Galen Putman, 40, sold fentanyl pills to undercover officers and was involved in negotiations to sell thousands more. He was arrested Sept. 14.

“That fentanyl could have cost the lives of scores of Oklahomans,” said District Attorney Jack Thorp. “Stopping the spread of this poison is an effort that requires the cooperation of all law enforcement and the people in our communities. I am grateful to the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service and the Cherokee Nation Attorney General’s Office for their cooperation and teamwork.”

The Cherokee Nation Attorney General charged Putman with distribution of a controlled substance.