An Auburn man, Matthew Carnicelli, 34, has pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter for selling a fentanyl-laced heroin compound that caused the fatal overdose of a friend. Carnicelli admitted that on October 31, 2022, he consciously disregarded the risk of a fatal overdose despite knowing that the victim was on prescription medication and at a higher risk of death.
Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci said that this is the second time in the county’s history that a drug dealer has been held criminally responsible for causing a fatal overdose.
Carnicelli faces an indeterminate sentence of 3.5 to 7 years in prison for the manslaughter charge and an additional seven years in prison followed by three years of post-release supervision for criminal possession of a controlled substance. Sentencing is scheduled for July 25.
Members of the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force investigated the fatal overdose and executed a search warrant at Carnicelli’s residence, resulting in the arrest of Carnicelli and Kelli Mitchell, 31. Mitchell pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in February and faces six years of incarceration and three years of post-release supervision, with sentencing set for June 1.
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