Clovis man Lakota Wakley pleads no contest to fentanyl killing Olivia Patla

Lakota Wakley pleaded no contest to three charges tied to selling and possessing fentanyl that prosecutors say caused the 2021 overdose death of 18-year-old Olivia Patla, the defendant told Fresno County Superior Court on March 3, 2026. Wakley faces up to five years in state prison and is scheduled to be sentenced April 17, 2026.

Judge Raj Singh Badhesha conducted the plea colloquy in Fresno County Superior Court, asking, “How do you plead, sir?” Wakley answered, “No contest.” The judge warned Wakley that future sales leading to death could elevate exposure to murder charges and asked, “Do you understand, sir?” Wakley replied, “Yes, sir.”

A photo of Olivia's face was on her mother's shirt today. Patla wanted Wakley to see what he took. Rene Patla spoke in court, saying, “It's time that he pleaded guilty because he was guilty.” She described Olivia as “18 and one day shy of her high school graduation when she died from a fentanyl overdose in 2021,” and lamented the milestones lost: “We don't know if she would be married,” “We don't know if she would have children. We don't know if she would have graduated from junior college or trade school. We have no idea where she would have been at this point.” Patla also questioned the deterrent effect of the system, saying, “He may only get five years, and look at how fast that went for us,” and “I don't think he's going to take it (to) heart.”

Prosecutors say Wakley sold the dose that killed Olivia. Court records and reporting identify Wakley as a repeat offender who continued selling after Olivia's death and who is now also serving a federal prison sentence for a later sale; the federal case details were not disclosed at the March 3 hearing. The plea came nearly five years after Olivia's 2021 death, a timeline cited in court remarks and local reporting.

Local coverage has linked the Wakley case to a broader shift in Fresno County enforcement against fentanyl, noting the region's first fentanyl murder conviction last year and crediting prosecutions and a public awareness campaign with putting Fresno County overdose deaths on the decline. At the federal level, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman has framed counterfeit pills and powdered fentanyl as an extreme danger, saying, “We speak often about how counterfeit pills that contain fentanyl endanger our community members,” and “We can’t lose sight of the fact that powdered fentanyl - which caused the death in this case - is extremely dangerous. To those drug dealers who would sell fentanyl in all its forms: Know that federal law enforcement will hold you accountable for any deaths that your sales cause.”

Wakley will return to Fresno County Superior Court for sentencing on April 17, 2026, where Judge Badhesha will set a state prison term within the statutory exposure of up to five years.