Fatal Overdose Leads To Federal Drug Charges For Wallingford Man

WALLINGFORD, CT — A Wallingford man faces federal drug charges in connection to the overdose death of a 38-year-old man last December, according to authorities. A grand jury in Hartford returned a four-count superseding indictment Wednesday charging Timothy Estridge, 37, of Wallingford, with drug trafficking offenses, U.S. States Attorney for Connecticut John H. Durham and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, announced in a press release. The matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on Dec. 16, 2017, the Wallingford Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to a Wallingford residence after a 911 call reported the untimely death of a 38-year-old male.

“The caller who reported the death did not leave contact information and was not on scene when responders arrived,” officials wrote in a press release. “The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, where investigators seized evidence of illicit drug use, including a small plastic baggy containing approximately eight suspected oxycodone pills, a glass dish with white powder residue, a broken credit card, prescription pill bottles, piece of wax folds commonly used as heroin packaging, and a used plastic syringe.”

The State of Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner determined the victim’s cause of death to be intoxication of a combination of heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, alprazolam, amphetamine, and ethanol.

Authorities say that, on multiple occasions between July and December 2017, Estridge possessed and distributed heroin and amphetamines. Estridge is also accused of supplying narcotics to the overdose victim shortly before he was found dead.

The indictment charges Estridge with two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, amphetamine. The charges carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.

Estridge has been detained since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on April 3, 2018.

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