Bridgeport Man Charged In Connection With Overdose Death: Police

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A 36-year-old Bridgeport man has been charged with manslaughter in connection with a fentanyl overdose death that occurred in the Springdale section of Stamford in July 2021, according to the Stamford Police Department.

Edson Casseus, who was already in custody after he was arrested by the SPD in January, was brought from the Bridgeport Correctional Center to Stamford Superior Court on Wednesday to face new charges.

Casseus was charged with second-degree manslaughter and sale of narcotics, Capt. Richard Conklin of the SPD said. Casseus was given a $250,000 bond.

Conklin said these new charges are the result of a long-term investigation by the department's narcotics and organized crime squad, led by officer Steven Orgera, into Casseus, and the overdose death of a 28-year-old man who was found in an apartment on the 900 block of Hope Street in Stamford on July 18, 2021.

Casseus was arrested on Jan. 21 by the SPD with the help of the Norwalk Police Department's Special Services Division at the SoNo Collection Mall on a warrant that charged him with three counts of sale of narcotics, police said. Casseus was additionally charged with possession of narcotics and possession of a controlled substance, and was remanded to custody for violating probation.

"He's a longtime career criminal. Most of his arrests, which there have been numerous, have been for narcotics, failure to appear, violation of probation," Conklin said.

After his arrest in January, Conklin said the department was looking into Casseus' possible involvement in overdose deaths involving fentanyl around the city. Police said Casseus was accused of selling fentanyl throughout Fairfield County.

Conklin explained that investigators conducted interviews and forensic work, and analyzed electronic devices which led them to linking Casseus with the 28-year-old overdose victim.

Conklin said the use of fentanyl has been on the rise recently, and highlighted the dangers of the drug.

"This is a very dangerous drug we've been seeing in our community, and regionally, which is responsible for many fatal overdoses. It's a very potent drug, probably 50 times more powerful than morphine and heroin," Conklin said Wednesday.

Investigations into other overdose deaths in Stamford are continuing, Conklin said, noting that it's unknown if Casseus is involved with them.

"The investigations haven't yielded who's involved with them, but we've made it a priority of our narcotics and organized crime squad, and our major crime unit to work on these types of cases that lead to fatal overdoses," Conklin said.