Passaic Co. Woman Sold Fentanyl That Killed Man, 21, Cops Say

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A Passaic County woman has been arrested for her role in an overdose that killed a North Jersey man, police announced.

On July 24, police were called to a home in Annandale, Hunterdon County, on a report of an unconscious man.

Officers found a 21-year-old man unresponsive in the residence, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities.

Investigators found drug paraphernalia “indicative of fentanyl” in the residence, officials said.

The 21-year-old’s cause of death was “acute drug toxicity from fentanyl,” according to the county’s medical examiner.

Further investigation revealed that Shaneshea M. Cooper, 28, of Paterson, had sold the 21-year-old the drugs days before he was found dead, police said.

Officials added that he returned to Annandale after buying the drugs from Cooper, to “ingest the substances that led to his death.”

Cooper was arrested on Oct. 1 and is charged with first-degree strict liability for drug-induced death and third-degree conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

If convicted, Cooper faces up to 25 years in prison and more than $200,000 in fines. She is scheduled for a pre-trial detention hearing this week.