DUBOIS – Charges were filed Thursday against a Kane woman in connection with the fatal fentanyl overdose of a Treasure Lake man.
Samantha Gustafson, 30, is charged by Sandy Township police with felony delivery of a controlled substance, drug delivery resulting in death and criminal use of communication facility, plus misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on April 18, police and emergency personnel were called to a Treasure Lake residence where 33-year-old Matthew Meholic was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor. He was determined to be deceased.
Inside the bathroom, there were reportedly numerous items of drug paraphernalia including a piece of tin foil with burnt residue and a rolled up $5 dollar bill, as well as a piece of brown paper with a white powdery substance on it near the sink.
The victim’s cell phone was also located on his person and secured along with the other evidence.
During the on-scene investigation, it was found that an unknown female friend of Meholic had spent the night but had left that morning prior to him being found unresponsive.
On the victim’s cell phone, police found multiple text messages, indicating Meholic had been conversing with an individual identified as “Sammy G,” and the assigned number was traced to Gustafson, and they had met up around 11:30 p.m. April 17.
Police were able to identify the female who had spent the night with Meholic and she was willing to provide information. She said she had been hanging out with the victim, and on April 17, they were at the DuBois McDonald’s restaurant.
Around 11 p.m., she said they left after Meholic asked her to take him somewhere. As they traveled north along state Route 255, he was messaging on his phone and it was indicating that “Sammy G was close by.”
At some point, she said the victim asked her to pull over and he got out. He was reportedly gone for about 10 minutes before returning to her vehicle. They proceeded to Sheetz, then to Meholic’s Treasure Lake residence.
There Meholic went into the bathroom, and when he came back out, he was reportedly “sluggish” as though he was under the influence of something.
Because she needed to leave early April 18, she said the victim set the alarm for 5:50 a.m., and when it went off, he got up and went back into the bathroom.
The female said she could hear water running as she waited on him but was unable to stay and left the residence.
With assistance of the state Attorney General’s office, an investigator was sworn to assume the identity of Meholic and contact was made with Gustafson from Meholic’s cell phone.
It was confirmed that the victim had paid Gustafson $140 for drugs the night before, and they made arrangements for the purchase of $200 worth of illegal drugs from Gustafson later that day in DuBois.
Gustafson advised police she would text when she got close to DuBois, and at 11:18 p.m. April 18, Gustafson sent a message to the victim’s phone saying she was near the front gate of Treasure Lake.
Officers surveilled the area and conducted a traffic stop of Gustafson’s maroon in color Ford Escape, at which point she was taken into custody.
In an interview with police, Gustafson allegedly confessed to having sold heroin to Meholic the night before.
An autopsy was done April 19 and the toxicological analysis of the postmortem blood sample revealed an overdose concentration of fentanyl.
Gustafson is being held in Clearfield County Jail without bail. Currently a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 13.