A Saratoga Springs man is now facing a federal charge for allegedly selling fentanyl to a woman who later suffered a fatal overdose. As our Matt Hunter reports, with more and more people routinely falling victim to the opioid epidemic, law enforcement officers have had to change the approach to their jobs.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – On Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Albany charged Steven Boice with one count of distributing fentanyl that caused the fatal overdose of a Saratoga County woman in early February of last year. In court records, she is referred to only by her initials, B.L.

One week after the woman's death, the 28-year-old Boice was taken into custody during a drug raid at his Cherry Street home.

"We had some concerns, before we even stepped foot in the door, of fentanyl,” said Robert Jillson, a lieutenant with the Saratoga Springs Police Department’s criminal investigations division.

Led by DEA agents, the multi-agency raid turned up 360 bags of fentanyl, along with a semi-automatic rifle, shotgun and ammunition. Federal court documents reveal Boice and his associates had been under surveillance for nearly a month.

"We had done our homework beforehand and talked to our partners in the State Police, the [Saratoga County] sheriff's office, the DEA," Jillson said.

Declining to discuss specifics of the case or the new charge because it's a federal investigation, Jillson says the rise in opiate-related overdose deaths has changed the way local officers handle cases.

"It can’t be simply labeled as an unattended death,” he said. “We have to treat them like homicide scenes."

While a bill known as “Laree’s Law” is moving through the state legislature, New York does not currently have a law similar to the federal statute that holds drug dealers responsible for deadly overdoses.

"By all means, we consult with our district attorney's office, but right now, we have found the best success is working federally,” Jillson said.

The decision to pursue a federal prosecution is made by the U.S. Attorney's Office in partnership with local law enforcement agencies, but Jillson says police forces often keep in close contact with federal authorities to make sure the avenue to file federal charges remains open.

"We will amend our procedures to fit that type of prosecution direction,” he said.

The new federal charge brings potentially steep penalties. If convicted, Boice could spend up to 25 years to life in prison.

"When we were able to execute that search warrant, it sent a message out there,” Jillson said.

"Laree's Law," which would allow law enforcement to charge drug dealers with homicide if they sell to someone who later suffers a fatal overdose, once again passed the New York State Senate on Wednesday. It is now headed to the Assembly for consideration.