Manslaughter Conviction Against Drug Dealer in Overdose Death
BROCKTON (CBS) – A Wareham man is the first to be charged and convicted in Plymouth County of supplying the fatal overdose that caused the death of a 25-year-old woman.
A Plymouth County jury found Steven Foss, 36, guilty of manslaughter, five counts of distributing heroin, possessing with the intent to distribute heroin and intimidation of a witness, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz's office.
Foss was found not guilty of assault and battery. The trial lasted eight days.
On Feb. 21, 2015, Wareham Police received a 911 call for a suspected drug overdose.
When officers arrived, they found the female victim, 25-year-old Paige Lopes of Wareham, dead at the scene.
At the time of her death, Lopes was found with an amount of heroin wrapped in lined notebook paper on her person. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined Lopes died of acute heroin intoxication.
An investigation by State Police Detectives assigned to Cruz's office found that on Feb. 21, 2015, Lopes had purchased $80 worth of heroin from Foss, ingested the drug and then died.
Through interviews, investigators determined that Lopes purchased heroin from Foss through an intermediary. Detectives used texts from the victim's cell phone to locate the intermediary who identified Foss as the dealer who sold drugs that day to Lopes.
Witnesses said Foss wrapped the drug product he sold in white or yellow lined notebook paper.
As part of the investigation, Foss sold drugs to undercover investigators four separate times in February and March of 2015.
Authorities sought and received a search warrant from Wareham District Court, executed that warrant on March 11, 2015, and arrested Foss that day.
State Police seized heroin and packaging materials, cell phones and approximately $3,400 in cash.
Foss is scheduled to be sentenced April 6 in Brockton Superior Court.