2 indicted in Vermilion fatal drug overdose

VERMILION — Two people have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the overdose death of a 22-year-old Vermilion man earlier this year. Tyler Fox, 22, of Elyria, and Abigail Link, 22, of Vermilion, both were charged with involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony; corrupting another with drugs, a second-degree felony; and trafficking in fentanyl, a fifth-degree felony, as a result of an investigation by Vermilion police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The charges were announced at a press conference Tuesday afternoon by Lorain County Prosecutor JD Tomlinson. The case began on May 16 when Vermilion police responded to a home where Justin Cramer, 22, had overdosed on an opioid. After several attempts to revive him using naloxone, Cramer was pronounced dead on arrival at Mercy Health-Lorain. Tomlinson said the Lorain County coroner ruled Cramer's death was from a fentanyl overdose. Cramer had completed a 30-day drug treatment program, but relapsed, he said. Cramer was a new father living with his girlfriend, Vermilion police Sgt. Scott Holmes said. He had dealt with his addiction for white a while before seeking treatment, he said. Through surveillance footage from a neighbor's home security system, as well as cellphone data from Cramer and interviews with witnesses, Vermilion police identified Fox and Link as the suspected drug dealers that sold the fentanyl to Cramer, resulting in his death. They were arrested at the Motel 6 in Amherst by the U.S. Marshal's Service on Oct. 28 following a secret indictment. Link and Fox were arraigned in Lorain County Common Pleas Court on Nov. 11. "This office is committed to prosecutions like this one because Justin's family is far from the only one in Lorain County that is grieving the loss of a child from an overdose," Tomlinson said. Fentanyl, including in counterfeit pills or laced in other substances, is responsible for thousands of deaths each year, said Thomas Gergye, assistant special agent in charge for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Cleveland office. About a quarter of all pills seized by the DEA contained lethal doses of fentanyl, he said. "The objective of the DEA is simple, bringing those individuals who violate our drug laws to justice — doesn't matter if you're a street-level dealer or a rogue medical professional or international drug trafficking organization," he said. Charging someone following an overdose death is a difficult task, Tomlinson said, but not an impossible one. "I think it's a good idea to show everybody that this can happen, there's a risk involved in selling drugs — if it causes a death, this is very well what could happen if you're caught," Tomlinson said. Holmes, who led the investigation, said it is very challenging to link someone who has overdosed back to the dealer who sold them the fatal substance, but when there is enough evidence available, officers will pursue those charges. Vermilion police Chief Chris Hartung said it is notoriously difficult for smaller communities, like Vermilion, to handle issues like this. The case presented Tuesday was made possible in part through those partnerships with county and federal agencies, he said. "You fall into two categories: either you're someone who has been affected by the scourge of heroin and overdoses, or you're someone who's about to be," he said. "The problem's expanding exponentially so we've all got to work on this problem together." Rich Resendez, the Lorain County prosecutor's office chief investigator, said for those struggling with addiction, there are processes and assistance available, which include waiving criminal prosecution if someone goes into rehab within 30 days of an overdose. Tomlinson said moving forward law enforcement agencies and the prosecutor's office will continue to work to link individuals who sold drugs causing fatal overdoses.