Ohio Man Sentenced For Selling Heroin That Caused Fatal Overdose

CLEVELAND — An Ohioan has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for selling heroin that caused the death of a 59-year-old Bedford man.

Mark Wisniewski 43, waived his right to a jury trial in September 2020. Judge Dick Ambrose then found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter, corrupting another with drugs, trafficking in drugs and drug possession.

“The opioid epidemic has taken far too many lives leaving families and friends struggling to cope with the loss of loved ones,” said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley. “Every time we can put an individual like this behind bars, whose actions have caused the death of multiple victims, our community becomes a safer place.”

On March 11, 2015, the Bedford man was found unresponsive in the basement of his home. EMS went to the home and pronounced the man dead. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's office said the man died of a suspected overdose.

Suspected narcotics, residue and packaging found at the man's home tested positive for heroin. A DNA profile was obtained from evidence found at the scene but did not match anyone in the FBI's Combined DNA Index System at the time.

In January 2018, new DNA was entered into the FBI's system after Wisniewski was taken into custody in Summit County and accused of selling heroin, which caused the death of a 22-year-old woman in Twinsburg. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for that crime.

Wisniewski's DNA was then matched to the DNA found at the Bedford man's home, leading to additional charges.