Chambersburg man charged in deadly overdose at recovery center
CHAMBERSBURG - A Chambersburg man has been charged in an overdose death at a recovery house in Quincy Township.
Angel Javier Fortich, 21, is held in Franklin County Jail without bail on three felony charges – delivery of a controlled substance, drug delivery resulting in death and criminal use of communication device.
Pennsylvania State Police, Chambersburg, on Friday filed the charges based on the recommendation of the Franklin County investigating grand jury.
Fortich is accused of providing the drugs that killed a resident at the New Hope Ranch, 9030 Wayne Highway, on June 24 or 25. The grand jury presentment in the court records did not identify the victim.
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More:Look inside New Hope Ranch recovery center
New Hope Ranch offers a faith-based program for men who need a home plan when returning to the community from jail and men who need support and recovery from addiction.
Since August, local authorities have charged seven people with drug delivery resulting in death. Four are linked to the fatal overdose of 3-year-old Logan Jane Starliper of Greencastle.
Waynesboro Police earlier this month charged Fortich with felony possession of marijuana and weapons violations.
Police responded around 7 a.m. on June 25 to a suspected drug overdose at New Hope Ranch, according to court documents. They found the victim and a hypodermic needle, several glassine wax packets typically seen in heroin packaging, a spoon, cotton swab, a glass smoking device and a pill that did not belong to the man.
Franklin County Coroner Jeffrey Conner said the victim died of an accidental overdose of mixed substance toxicity, according to court documents. The substances were benzoylecgonine, heroin, fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl.
Fentanyl is an opioid drug that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, acetyl fentanyl 15 times more. Benzoylecgonine is an indicator of cocaine.
Police also recovered three cell phones at the scene, according to court documents. The victim called “Pops” several times on June 24. Police identified “Pops” as Fortich and found that Fortich used a pay-as-you-go phone, or “burner phone,” with the phone number that the victim had called.
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According to court documents, the victim texted Fortich at 3:54 p.m. on June 24 and ordered a “half,” the term for a half gram of a controlled substance. Fortich texted back that he had “bags” (heroin in glassine baggies) and it was “fire” (high quality with fentanyl). Fortich at 4:31 p.m. texted “Meet me by the rec.” The victim texted “what street.” The two had two brief phone calls. A call to “Pops” was the last that the victim made.
Surveillance video taken near the Chambersburg Recreation Center, 235 S. Third St., confirmed that Fortich was in the area at the time of the texts and phone calls, according to court documents.
Fortich’s preliminary hearing is set for 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6 in Franklin County Central Court at the courthouse in Chambersburg.
Jim Hook, 717-262-4759
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