Marion man arrested in connection with 2016 overdose death
A Marion man was taken into custody on Thursday in connection with a 2016 overdose death, according to the Marion City Police Department.
Detectives with the METRICH-MARMET Drug Task Force arrested Brandon Crowe, 36, in the 200 block of East Washington Ave., on suspicion of committing involuntary manslaughter in connection with the case of Michael Foltz, a 35-year-old man who died from a drug overdose in January 2016.
Foltz was discovered by members of the Marion City Police and Fire departments on Jan. 3, 2016, after units were called to a home in the 200 block of Kenmore Ave.
Foltz was unresponsive due to suspected drug use and was transported to Marion General Hospital and then to Columbus, where he was pronounced dead the next day.
An investigation was launched by METRICH-MARMET shortly after it was determined by the Franklin County Coroner’s Office that the death was due to a drug overdose.
After wrapping up the investigation in the end of 2016, drug task force agents believe Crowe supplied Foltz with the drugs, according to Marion Police Lt. Chris Adkins.
"We concluded the investigation a while ago, however we were waiting on charges to be reviewed by the prosecutor's office," Adkins said. "We always try to pursue federal charges first and that took some time. He ended up being charged by the state."
Crowe was indicted by a Marion County grand jury on Wednesday, before his arrest, on one count of involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, and one count of corrupting another with drugs, a second-degree felony.
Adkins said it is usually difficult to tie a suspected drug dealer to an overdose death, noting that the percentage of convictions is relatively low.
"Drug dealers are aware of our tactics and tend to evolve their operations in order to avoid being caught. We evolve as well." Adkins said. "The prosecutor's office wants to make sure that we are pretty positive that the suspected dealer supplied the drugs, before charges are filed. We have no doubts in this case."
Crowe is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday and is being held at the Multi-County Correctional Center. His bail is set at $200,000.
Originally published in the Marion Star on January 12, 2018.