Clinton Township, NJ – A Paterson woman has been sentenced to seven years in New Jersey state prison for supplying the drugs that led to the fatal overdose of a 22-year-old Hunterdon County man, prosecutors announced Friday.
Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson said Superior Court Judge Christopher J. Garrenger sentenced Shaneshea M. Cooper, 29, on July 10 after she pleaded guilty earlier this year to second-degree reckless manslaughter.
Guilty plea followed overdose investigation
Cooper entered her guilty plea on May 1 as part of a joint investigation conducted by the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force and the Clinton Township Police Department.
According to prosecutors, Joseph S. Callari, 22, of Clinton Township, died on July 24, 2025, after ingesting narcotics that Cooper distributed to him.
Authorities charged Cooper in connection with the fatal overdose, ultimately securing her guilty plea to reckless manslaughter.
Must serve nearly six years before parole eligibility
Under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, Cooper must serve five years, 11 months, and 16 days of her seven-year sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
She will also be subject to three years of parole supervision upon her release from prison.
Senior Assistant Prosecutor Tangerla Thomas represented the State during the prosecution. Cooper was represented by attorney Jada Mayson.
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