The Michael Meyden case involves a Lake Oswego, Oregon father who drugged three 12-year-old girls with Temazepam-laced mango smoothies at his daughter’s August 2023 sleepover, pleaded guilty to three felonies, was sentenced to two years in prison in June 2024, and settled a civil lawsuit brought by one of the victim families in late 2025.
What Happened at the Sleepover
On the night of August 25, 2023, Meyden, then 57, hosted a sleepover at his Lake Oswego home for his daughter and three of her 12-year-old friends. He prepared mango smoothies, served them in milkshake-style glasses with designated colored straws, and was described as “adamant” that each girl drink only from her own cup.1NBC News. Oregon Man Spiked Smoothies With Sedatives The drinks had been laced with Temazepam, a benzodiazepine prescribed for insomnia.2The Oregonian. Lake Oswego Dad Accused of Drugging Girls at Sleepover Placed on GPS Monitoring
Two of the girls drank the smoothies and lost consciousness. A third drank very little and stayed awake. She grew alarmed as Meyden made repeated trips to the basement where the girls were sleeping. According to the probable cause affidavit, he tried to physically separate her from a friend in an unusually deep sleep, held his finger under one unconscious girl’s nose, and waved his hand in front of her face, apparently checking whether she was asleep.3WAFB. Dad Drugged Smoothies of Three 12-Year-Old Girls During Daughter’s Sleepover, Affidavit Says
Just before 2 a.m., the awake girl texted her mother: “Mom please pick me up and say I had a family emergency. I don’t feel safe. I might not respond but please come get me. Please. Please pick up. Please. Please!!”3WAFB. Dad Drugged Smoothies of Three 12-Year-Old Girls During Daughter’s Sleepover, Affidavit Says A family friend retrieved her, and the other parents were contacted. When they arrived around 3 a.m., Meyden initially resisted letting them in, saying the girls were sleeping.1NBC News. Oregon Man Spiked Smoothies With Sedatives
All three friends were taken to Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland and tested positive for benzodiazepine. Meyden’s own daughter also tested positive. One mother told the court her child’s drug levels were “off the charts.”4The Oregonian. Oregon Dad Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Drugging Daughter’s Friends at Sleepover
The Charges and Guilty Plea
A Clackamas County grand jury indicted Meyden on nine counts: three felony counts of causing another person to ingest a controlled substance, three felony counts of applying a Schedule IV controlled substance to the body of a minor, and three misdemeanor counts of delivery of a controlled substance to a minor.5City of Lake Oswego. Lake Oswego Man Indicted After Drugging Girls at Sleepover
On June 10, 2024, Meyden pleaded guilty in Clackamas County Circuit Court to three felony counts of causing another person to ingest a controlled substance under ORS 475.908, a Class B felony.6Oregon Public Law. ORS 475.908 – Causing Another Person to Ingest a Controlled Substance The remaining six counts were dropped as part of the plea agreement.7KOIN. Lake Oswego Man Pleads Guilty to Drugging Girls at Sleepover
The Sentence
Judge Ann Lininger sentenced Meyden to two years in prison followed by three years of post-prison supervision.8Lake Oswego Review. Lake Oswego Dad Pleads Guilty to Drugging Preteens, Receives Sentence She called the negotiated resolution “fair” and said she found Meyden’s expressions of shame and remorse “authentic,” while noting he had made “terrible and dangerous” choices and “created some tremendous wreckage.” She said he could receive roughly five months off his sentence for good behavior.4The Oregonian. Oregon Dad Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Drugging Daughter’s Friends at Sleepover
What Meyden Said About Why
Meyden told the court he drugged the girls because they had not gone to bed by 11 p.m. and he wanted them well-rested for the next day. He said he was “overly fixated on them going to bed” so that he himself could sleep.4The Oregonian. Oregon Dad Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Drugging Daughter’s Friends at Sleepover He added that his daughter had “tried to sneak out once before,” said he was “truly worried” about the girls’ safety, and claimed his intent was for them to be “drowsy, not comatose.”9KPTV. Lake Oswego Dad Sentenced to Two Years for Drugging Daughter’s Friends At sentencing, he told the judge, “My whole life is destroyed. Everything that was important to me up until that point is gone.”10The Guardian. Oregon Man Sentenced to Prison for Drugging Girls at Sleepover
Prosecutors did not formally allege a sexual motive, no sex-crime charges were filed, and the Lake Oswego police investigation did not identify a motive beyond Meyden’s own account.4The Oregonian. Oregon Dad Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Drugging Daughter’s Friends at Sleepover The victims and their parents publicly rejected his explanation.11Lake Oswego Review. Lake Oswego Sleepover Drugging Lawsuit May Be Resolved
What the Victims and Their Parents Said
Two mothers addressed the court and asked for the maximum sentence of four and a half years, saying two years was “not enough.” One told Meyden directly: “No decent parent puts their hands on drugged and unconscious young girls without nefarious intent. Do not for one second think that I don’t know who and what you are.” Another said: “You played Russian roulette with my child’s life.”9KPTV. Lake Oswego Dad Sentenced to Two Years for Drugging Daughter’s Friends
The three girls also spoke, describing their lives as a “living hell,” calling Meyden a “monster,” saying they were traumatized and had lost trust in adults, and asking for the maximum sentence.9KPTV. Lake Oswego Dad Sentenced to Two Years for Drugging Daughter’s Friends
The Civil Lawsuit and Settlement
In mid-November 2024, one of the victims and her father sued Michael Meyden and his ex-wife, Yukiko Meyden, in Clackamas County, seeking $2.4 million for battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and negligent infliction of emotional distress.12KOIN. Lake Oswego Dad Faces $2.4 Million Suit After Prison Sentence for Drugging Drinks at Daughter’s Sleepover
Court records show the case was recorded as “settled or otherwise resolved” on December 30, 2025, with all future proceedings canceled. The terms and monetary amount were not publicly disclosed.13KOIN. Lawsuit Against Lake Oswego Father Who Drugged Pre-Teens at Sleepover Settled No publicly reported civil suits from the other two victim families have been identified.