Nazareth Shoffner was sentenced Thursday to state prison for selling a single fentanyl pill that led to the overdose death of an Edwardsville woman.
Ed Lewis | Times Leader
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WILKES-BARRE — Nazareth “Naz” N. Shoffner was apologetic inside a Luzerne County Courthouse for selling a single fentanyl pill disguised as Percocet that resulted in the overdose death of an Edwardsville woman in 2023.
On his way out of the courthouse, a shackled Shoffner, 35, said he was not happy with his sentence calling it “a joke.”
President Judge Michael T. Vough sentenced Shoffner to 14 to 28 years in state prison for drug delivery resulting in death and a separate charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Shoffner pled guilty to the charges March 25.
“I apologize to the family. I’m sorry for what I did. If I could change it, I would. From the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry,” Shoffner said while facing the family of Haylee Oeller.
Oeller, 21, of Edwardsville, died at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital on Feb. 9, 2023.
Deputy District Attorney Daniel E. Zola said Oeller and her friend were not addicts but believed they purchased a single Percocet pill from Shoffner. The pill was split and Oeller and her friend each took half, Zola said.
“A half of pill killed the victim,” Zola said.
County detectives investigated Oeller’s death and charged Shoffner in July 2023.
After Oeller and her friend each took half the pill, the friend began to itch and vomited at least 10 times. Oeller became unresponsive and was transported to the hospital where she died.
A search warrant was served at Shoffner’s residence when he lived on Martin Street, Hanover Township, where detectives seized cellular phones, Percocet pills, methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl, according to court records.
“Selling poison on our streets … just to make money. It’s not a business,” Vough said before imposing the decades-long sentence upon Shoffner.
