A Cleveland man became the third accused drug dealer in Geauga County to be charged with involuntary manslaughter as a result of a heroin overdose death in Chardon.
A grand jury indicted Alfonso M. Ligon, 49, in the April 2015 death of 36-year-old Paul Carlozzi, of Meadowlands Drive. Carlozzi was found dead in his apartment on April 12, 2015.
Carlozzi’s death was caused by an overdose and the drugs had been purchased from Ligon, Chardon police concluded following a investigation.
In addition to one county of involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, Ligon also was charged with one count of corrupting another with drugs, a second-degree felony, and one count of trafficking in heroin, a fifth-degree felony.
“Our office will continue seeking to hold drug dealers accountable for overdose deaths,” Geauga County Prosecutor James Flaiz said in an April 22 statement.
“I am pleased that after our lengthy investigation we were able to gather the necessary evidence to obtain a manslaughter indictment against the defendant,” Chardon Police Chief Scott Niehus added.
United States Marshall Service arrested Ligon on April 20.
He was arraigned in Geauga County Common Pleas Court on April 21 and entered a plea of not guilty.
Judge David L. Fuhry set bond at $200,000 cash or surety and Ligon remains jailed at the Geauga County Safety Center.
His case was assigned to Judge Forrest W. Burt for further proceedings.
In January 2015, Burt sentenced Euclid resident Chas Johnson to four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and trafficking in heroin.
Johnson had admitted to supplying heroin to Claridon Township resident Chad J. Riffett, who in turn brought the drug from Cuyahoga County into Geauga County and sold it to 48-year-old Russell King Sr.
King was found dead of an overdose on Feb. 27, 2014 — two years to the day after his son Russell King Jr. was fatally shot inside the Chardon High School cafeteria.
A grand jury indicted Riffett, 37, of Taylor Wells Road, on involuntary manslaughter, corrupting another with drugs and trafficking charges.
In August 2015, he pleaded guilty to attempted corruption of another with drugs and Burt sentenced him to five years of community control.