SANDUSKY— A Sandusky man faces manslaughter charges in connection with a fatal fentanyl overdose earlier this year, according to court documents filed in the Erie County Court of Common Pleas.
Darrell E. Moore, 51, of Ash Street, was indicted by a county grand jury on three felonies stemming from an investigation into the death of an individual identified in court records as K.M.
On or about March 8, according to the indictment, Moore sold or offered to sell a fentanyl-related compound to K.M. and furnished the Schedule II controlled substance, causing serious physical harm and ultimately leading to the victim’s fatal overdose.
The grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Moore:
Involuntary Manslaughter (Felony of the 1st Degree)
Corrupting Another With Drugs (Felony of the 2nd Degree)
Trafficking in a Fentanyl-Related Compound (Felony of the 5th Degree)
Following his indictment, an arrest warrant was executed by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. Moore appeared for arraignment before Judge Beverly K. McGookey, where defense counsel entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.
The Prosecutor’s Office in discovery included body-camera footage, digital extraction reports from cell phones examined via Cellebrite, 911 audio recordings, physical evidence recovered from the scene—including drug paraphernalia—and official toxicology reports from the Lucas County Coroner’s Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).
Moore is represented by attorney Robert H. Ritzler from the public defender’s office. A final pre-trial hearing is scheduled for October 6, with a jury trial formally set to begin on October 19.