MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA—Valerie Benatti, a 29-year-old woman from Harleysville, has pled guilty to a charge of drug delivery resulting in death.
This plea was entered before Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker following a 2022 incident where a 56-year-old individual overdosed in Conestoga Township.
The incident, which occurred on August 20, 2022, was investigated by Pennsylvania State Police after they were called to the 100 block of Slackwater Road for a suspected overdose. Investigations including cell phone data and witness testimonies revealed that Benatti provided the victim with fentanyl the Thursday before the overdose. The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office confirmed the cause of death as acute fentanyl toxicity.
Benatti admitted her role in the incident during police interviews. The case, prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman, awaits sentencing pending a presentence investigation. Judge Reinaker will impose the sentence at a later date.
