An Auburn man has admitted providing drugs to a friend who died from an overdose 鈥 knowing full well that the drugs might kill him.
Matthew Carnicelli, 34, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of second-degree manslaughter for selling a fentanyl compound which resulted in a fatal overdose.
Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci said in a news release that, during his guilty plea, Carnicelli admitted that on Oct. 31, 2022, "he consciously disregarded the known risk of a fatal overdose when he sold a bundle of heroin laced with a fentanyl compound, which caused the victim to suffer a fatal overdose, thereby recklessly causing the victim鈥檚 death."
He sold the drugs despite knowing that the victim was on prescription medication and had a higher risk of death. The day after the fatal overdose, Carnicelli was found in possession of more than 1/8 of an ounce of fentanyl during a search of his home. He admitted during his plea that he knowingly possessed that fentanyl with the intent to sell it.
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He faces an indeterminate sentence of 3.5 to 7 years in prison on that count. He also entered a guilty plea to criminal possession of a controlled substance, for which he faces a sentence of seven years in prison followed by three years of post-release supervision.
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聽at 74 E. Genesee St. in Auburn the following day.
Carnicelli was arrested at that time along with Kelli Mitchell, 31.
Mitchell pleaded guilty in February to criminal possession of a controlled substance and is scheduled to be sentenced June 1. She faces 6 years of incarceration and 3 years of post-release supervision.
鈥淭his is the second time in our County鈥檚 history that our Office has been able to hold an admitted drug dealer criminally responsible for causing the fatal overdose of another," Grome Antonacci said in a statement. "This defendant was on notice that the drugs he possessed and sold contained fentanyl. He was also aware that the victim took prescription medication, which when combined with fentanyl, could be fatal. Despite this knowledge, he sold the drugs to the victim, which is the epitome of recklessness. Part of our strategy in addressing the opioid epidemic is to target drug dealers who are causing fatal overdoses in our communities and hold them accountable for their actions. I strongly urge friends and family members of opiate overdose victims to reach out to their local legislators and push for legislation that will make it easier to prosecute those who bring these lethal drugs into our communities.鈥
