Local man charged with overdose death

CRANBERRY TWP., Pennsylvania (EYT) – A local man is behind bars for allegedly selling fentanyl that led to the overdose death of a man in Venango County.

According to court documents, Mercer State Police filed the following criminal charges against the 48-year-old Shaundel Damon Youngof Franklin, in the office of District Judge Patrick Lowrey on Wednesday, July 17, 2024:

• Drug administration resulting in death, crime 1
• Manufacturing, supplying or possessing with intent to manufacture or supply, serious crime
• Criminal use of a communication facility, offence 3
• Negligent homicide, misdemeanor 1

According to a criminal complaint, on April 18, 2023, at approximately 7:57 a.m., PSP Franklin responded to a call of a man in cardiac arrest at 133 Plum Drive in Cranberry Township, Venango County.

Upon arrival, paramedics attempted to resuscitate the male victim, but were unsuccessful. He was identified as Trapper Shuffstall by Christina Rugh, Venango County Coroner. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the lawsuit states.

The victim was discovered by family members in a bathroom in his bedroom. Also found near the body were six blue pills in a piece of plastic on the edge of the bathtub. The pills were marked “M” on one side and “30” on the other, the complaint states.

Additionally, a metal spoon with blue residue was discovered on the edge of the bathtub. A syringe was found in close proximity to the victim’s body and the victim’s cell phone was found on his bed, the complaint states.

Numerous family members were on scene and stated that the victim left for a short time on the morning of his death and returned a short time later. The family also reported that the victim had struggled with drug addiction in the past, according to the complaint.

Further investigation and a review of Shuffstall’s phone records showed that he had met with Shaundel Young about an hour before he was discovered in a mobile home in Orchard Park in Cranberry Township in Venango County, the complaint states.

Investigators were familiar with Young, who calls himself “Del,” and had sold drugs before. The complaint also noted that Young is on probation.

According to the complaint, the victim’s girlfriend said she knew the victim had planned to meet with Young on the morning of his death. She stated she called Young when she heard something was wrong with the victim and asked Young if they had met. Young denied the meeting to the victim’s girlfriend and later turned off his phone.

The complaint states that investigators obtained surveillance footage from a residence on Apricot Drive that showed the victim’s vehicle driving toward and then driving away from Young’s residence at approximately 7:01 a.m. on the day of his death.

In an interview with police, Shuffstall’s 10-year-old son reported that his father said he had to “run to the neighbor’s (house)” while he was getting ready for school. The child said Shuffstall was only gone for a short time and when he returned, he said he was “going to the bathroom” and then taking her to school. The victim never came out of his room, however, so he and his sister eventually broke into the room and found him, the complaint states.

Lab reports showed that the blue pills and residue at the crime scene contained fentanyl. Shuffstall was also found to have 5.9 ng/ml of fentanyl in his system, as well as cocaine, oxycodone and amphetamine. The cause of death was determined to be fentanyl poisoning, the lawsuit states.

Police obtained records from Young’s cellphone that show Young’s phone was in the area of ​​his residence on the date and time of the drug deal, which matches the text messages, the complaint says.

Young was arraigned before Judge Lowrey on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at 1:30 p.m.

Since he was unable to make the $50,000.00 bail, he was placed in the Venango County Jail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. in Venango County Central Court.

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