Todd James Dawsey leaves the Luzerne County Courthouse on Tuesday after he was sentenced to five to 10 years in state prison for delivering a fatal dose of fentanyl.
Ed Lewis | Times Leader
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WILKES-BARRE — A Wilkes-Barre man who admitted to delivering fentanyl that resulted in the overdose death of a Hanover Township man was sentenced to up to 10 years in state prison Friday.
Luzerne County President Judge Michael T. Vough sentenced Todd James Dawsey, 43, of East Elm Street, to five-to-10 years in prisoin on a charge of drug delivery resulting in death. Dawsey pled guilty to the charge Jan. 30.
Dawsey said he was “sorry” prior to being sentenced.
Hanover Township police arrested Dawsey in November after investigating the death of Richard Cassano III on May 21.
Cassano was found deceased inside his home with eight bags of fentanyl, an empty bag and a cellular phone in the room.
Police in court records say Cassano sent multiple text messages to Dawsey to buy fentanyl, including prices and a location to meet on May 20.
Court records say Cassano purchased a brick of fentanyl, or 50 bags, for $120 from Dawsey.
After Cassano’s body was found, Wilkes-Barre police set up surveillance of Dawsey’s residence and followed him in a vehicle when he dropped off a child at a local school. Dawsey was arrested during a traffic stop as he returned to his residence.
Based on the death investigation in Hanover Township, a search warrant was served on Dawsey’s residence where his cellular phone contained the communications with Cassano, court records say.
A search of Dawsey’s residence uncovered a lock box containing Ecstasy tablets, methamphetamine, cocaine and cash, according to court records.
In an unrelated case, Vough sentenced Dawsey to two years probation on a simple assault charge for a domestic violence incident involving a woman at his residence on Aug. 20.
Assistant District Attorney Julian Truskowski prosecuted.