A Bonney Lake father will spend six-and-a-half years in prison for the fentanyl overdose death of his 15-month-old son.

Pierce County Superior Court Judge Stanley Rumbaugh sentenced Nicholas Lee Tucker, 34, on Wednesday, Sept. 2, after Tucker pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, The Tacoma News Tribune reported. Tucker admitted to recklessly causing the death of his son, Weston Tucker.

The sentence fell at the low end of the standard range of 6.5 to 8.5 years. Both prosecutors and the defense recommended it. Tucker had no prior felony convictions and faces three years of community custody after his release.

Weston died days after the evening of March 13, 2025, at the family's Bonney Lake home. Tucker told Child Protective Services he had substances around him on the bed while napping next to his son. Emergency responders transported Weston to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office determined he died of acute fentanyl toxicity.

Weston's mother, Karlee Eley, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in July and was sentenced to 19 months.

Tucker appeared emotional throughout the hearing, occasionally wiping away tears. Defense attorney Leslie Tolzin told the court Tucker developed a drug addiction after breaking his leg at age 19 and being prescribed OxyContin. Deputy prosecuting attorney Christine Dickson called it an incredibly sad case and said Tucker was taking responsibility.

Before imposing the sentence, Rumbaugh told Tucker he would have expected that in 15 years of addiction, Tucker would have recognized the problem and sought help.

"But you didn't, and now your son is dead," Rumbaugh said. "And there's nothing we can do to change that."

Separately, Washington's child welfare system recorded a record 23 child deaths in 2025, about half tied to fentanyl, the Washington State Standard reported in June. Those figures cover children in the state welfare system and may not include Weston's case. Multiple bills to expand child endangerment law to include fentanyl stalled in the 2026 legislative session.