(KRON) — An East Bay teenager is facing federal charges in connection to a fatal fentanyl overdose death. Jianna Coppedge, 19, appeared in United States District Court in Oakland Tuesday to face a charge that she distributed fentanyl in the form of counterfeit “M30” pills.

A criminal complaint filed against Coppedge was unsealed Tuesday. The complaint describes a transaction in which Coppedge sold “M30” pills containing fentanyl to a person who later died from an overdose.

Prosecutors charged Coppedge with distribution of fentanyl. If convicted, she could face 20 years in prison and $1 million in fines.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Chambers is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA and the Dublin Police Department.

Fentanyl is the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. 

The highly potent opiate can be diluted with cutting agents to create counterfeit pills that mimic the effects of Oxycodone, Percocet, and other drugs. “However, very small variations in the amount or quality of fentanyl create huge effects on the potency of the counterfeit pills and can easily cause death,” prosecutors wrote.

Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills are usually shaped and colored to resemble pills that are sold legitimately at pharmacies.