A couple from Bartonsville, James P. Cullen V, 30, and Michelle L. Ferranti, 31, are facing charges for allegedly supplying drugs that led to three overdose deaths. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced the charges on Monday, December 23.
The couple was indicted on December 17 with eight charges, including three counts of distributing fentanyl, which resulted in deaths.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Cullen and Ferranti are accused of mailing fentanyl and heroin to almost every state in the U.S. and several foreign countries.
The overdose victims, who died from fentanyl between October 2022 and February 2023, were located in Vermont, Georgia, and Alaska. One of the victims in Alaska was a juvenile.
The indictment was kept secret until after the couple was arrested. In addition to the death-related charges, they also face charges for drug conspiracy, distribution of fentanyl and heroin, and possession with the intent to distribute.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Cullen and Ferranti obtained the drugs from accomplices in New Jersey, sold them on the dark web, and shipped them under fake names.
Both Cullen and Ferranti pleaded not guilty in court on December 19.