Dealer who peddled drugs which caused Staten Islander’s fatal overdose is convicted

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A drug dealer who peddled heroin laced with fentanyl which caused a Staten Island man’s fatal overdose 17 months ago has been convicted of narcotics conspiracy, authorities said.

Paul Van Manen sold the victim the illicit drugs in December 2017 despite knowing they had caused a non-fatal overdose two months earlier, said Geoffrey S. Berman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Van Manen, 51, continued pushing heroin even after the deadly overdose, Berman said.

Authorities said Van Manen is from both Staten Island and South Amboy, N.J.

Public records reflect various addresses for him around the borough over the years.

In January 2018, Van Manen was among 11 members of an alleged drug-trafficking ring indicted in Manhattan federal court on narcotics conspiracy charges.

The other defendants were Staten Island residents.

The Staten Island district attorney’s office, the NYPD and the New York Drug Enforcement Administration’s Strike Force aided in the probe that led to the defendants’ arrests, said Berman.

At that time, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said the indictments were a “direct result” of his office’s mission to investigate every overdose through its Overdose Response Initiative.

For several years prior to their arrests, the defendants peddled large quantities of heroin, including heroin laced with fentanyl, on Staten Island and in Brooklyn, Manhattan and New Jersey, said Manhattan federal prosecutors.

They purchased the narcotics from a supplier in Brooklyn, which were then stored and packaged in “stash houses” on Staten Island or in Brooklyn, and resold, authorities said.

Berman said Van Manen sold heroin and heroin laced with fentanyl to customers on Staten Island and in New Jersey dating to 2013.

On Oct. 4, 2017, Van Manen drove a co-conspirator, who authorities previously identified as Shaun Sullivan, to Brooklyn where they obtained heroin from the ring’s primary supplier, Medin Kosic of West Brighton, officials said.

Sullivan overdosed the next morning after using some of the drugs, which were found to contain fentanyl, said authorities.

He was revived with Narcan, the anti-overdose spray, authorities allege.

Kosic asked Van Manen if it was “surprising” Sullivan overdosed. He replied, “Not surprising, no,” said an indictment.

Apparently undaunted, Van Manen continued selling the drugs.

On Dec. 1, 2017, one of his buyers, a 26-year-old Staten Island man, purchased heroin which had been laced with fentanyl and suffered a fatal overdose, said authorities.

Jurors on Thursday convicted Van Manen of conspiring to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin. A kilogram is 2.2 pounds.

The panel further determined the conspiracy involved fentanyl, as well as the deadly and non-fatal overdoses.

The defendant faces up to life in prison when sentenced.

The mandatory minimum term is 20 years behind bars.

A sentencing date has not been set.

Kenneth Charlton, a co-defendant who was tried with Van Manen, was acquitted, said Berman.

“As proven at trial, Paul Van Manen peddled poison to the community of Staten Island and its vicinity, causing one of his many victims to die from a tragic overdose, despite knowing of a non-fatal overdose just two months earlier from the group’s drugs,” Berman said in a statement.

Besides Van Manen, 10 other defendants have been convicted in connection with the conspiracy, Berman said.

They include Kosic, who was sentenced in March to 14 years in prison; Mirsad Bogdanovic, who received a sentence of 160 months; Michael Nunez, who was hit with a 150-month term, and Alexander Bucci, who got 50 months, authorities said.

Van Manen’s lawyer did not immediately respond Friday to an email seeking comment.