Passaic County woman charged in fatal fentanyl overdose in Hunterdon County
Annandale, NJ — A 28-year-old woman from Paterson is facing a first-degree charge of strict liability for drug-induced death after a 21-year-old man fatally overdosed in Annandale over the summer, officials announced in a joint statement.
Shaneshea M. Cooper was arrested on October 1 following an investigation by the Clinton Township Police Department and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities allege that Cooper distributed fentanyl to the victim in Paterson shortly before he returned to Annandale and was found dead on July 24.
Clinton Township officers were called to the residence that day on a report of an unconscious male. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators recovered drug paraphernalia indicating fentanyl use. The Hunterdon County Medical Examiner later confirmed that the cause of death was acute drug toxicity due to fentanyl.
The investigation led detectives to Cooper, who is now charged with first-degree strict liability for drug-induced death and third-degree conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison on the first-degree charge and an additional five years on the conspiracy charge.
Cooper is currently being held at the Warren County Jail ahead of a pretrial detention hearing scheduled for October 7. She is represented by defense attorney Yoana Yakova. The state is represented by Senior Assistant Prosecutor Tangerla Thomas.
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Key Points
- Shaneshea M. Cooper, 28, is charged with first-degree strict liability for a drug-induced death in a July fentanyl overdose
- The 21-year-old male victim was found dead in Annandale after allegedly ingesting fentanyl supplied by Cooper in Paterson
- Cooper remains in custody at Warren County Jail pending a pretrial detention hearing