Dealer Who Sold Pill Leading To Fatal Overdose In Montgomery County Gets Prison Time

A judge sentenced Gaithersburg resident Eric Turner, 32, to 10 years in prison with all but six years to serve after pleading guilty to his role in the death of Shanon Cole, who overdosed in July 2022 after ingesting a pill he received from him.

Turner pleaded guilty in June to involuntary manslaughter.

On the night of his death, court documents state that Cole met with Turner, and later crushed up a blue pill with the imprints "M" and "30," which he then snorted through a dollar bill.

It is believed the pill was counterfeit Oxycodone that was, in fact, pressed fentanyl.

The following morning, a witness woke up on July 7, 2022, and found Cole unresponsive and foaming at the mouth.

Following his death, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined it to be caused by mixed drug intoxication. Cocaine, fentanyl, and despropionyl fentanyl were all found in Cole's system.

It was later determined that Turner provided the fateful pill in the area of the 20000 block of Appledowre Circle in Germantown, which prosecutors say is a known "meeting location for CDS transactions to other prospective CDS buyers."

The 17-page court document can be found here.

“This case should send a clear message that dealers selling fentanyl are merchants of death and will be held accountable in Montgomery County," State's Attorney John McCarthy said. "If you participate in the distribution of this lethal, illicit drug and someone dies, you will not only be charged with distribution.

"As occurred here, you potentially face additional charges related to the homicide and associated consequences."

Following his release from prison, a judge also ordered that Turner serve five years of supervised probation.

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