A Pleasantville man facing federal gun charges in Atlanta is now one of two men indicted in a 2018 overdose death.
Anthony Tamburelli, 59, was found inside his Galloway Township home Dec. 17, 2018, of what was determined to be a fatal combination of heroin and fentanyl, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner said.
An investigation found that Emery Chapman and Brian Whitted had sold him the deadly drugs, Tyner said.
Less than two months after Tamburelli was found dead, Atlantic City police were looking for Chapman in a shooting that wounded a man at the Hard Rock Casino Hotel.
He remains in federal custody there, prison records show.
Whitted, 56, of Galloway Township, was arrested Feb. 27, 2020, and remains in the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
A grand jury indicted both men on charges of strict liability for a drug-related death, conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance.
Chapman additionally is charged with witness tampering.
“We need to remove the stigma of addiction and prosecute those who peddle poison that results in a fatality," Tyner said. "We urge all family members and loved ones who find a person that overdoses to preserve the scene so our detectives can get the information that is vital to prosecuting these crimes.”
