Charges Levied Against Avon Man in Heroin Death of East Haddam Teen

AVON/EAST HADDAM, CT — An Avon man was arrested on Wednesday and charged with him distributing heroin involved in an overdose death of an 18-year-old in East Haddam, federal authorities said.

Deirdre Daly, the United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, the arrest of Kerry Scanlan on early Wendesdat afternoon. Scasnlan, 20, of Avon, was the subject of an investigation targeting narcotics dealers "who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users," Daly said.

According to court documents, on the morning of March 19, State Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a residence in East Haddam for a reported untimely death.

The victim, an 18-year-old male, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to court papers.

At the scene,state police seized the victim’s cell phone and "multiple glassine bags containing powder residue," according to court documents.

A subsequent investigation revealed that Scanlan arranged to purchase heroin from a source in Hartford. On March 18, the victim drove to Avon, picked up Scanlan and drove to Hartford to purchase heroin, according to court papers.

On April 4, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner issued a report listing the victim’s cause of death as “acute fentanyl intoxication,” Daly said.

This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Connecticut State Police and the East Haddam Police Department, Daly said.