Phoenixville woman faces jail, house arrest, for role in boyfriend’s overdose death | News

NORRISTOWN — A Phoenixville woman’s cooperation with authorities was acknowledged, but a judge said some jail time was necessary for her role in the fentanyl overdose death of her boyfriend, a Spring City man.

Amanda M. Jones, 30, of the 1300 block of Black Rock Road, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court on Thursday to three months in the county’s intermediate punishment program, eight days of which must be spent in the county jail in connection with the March 29, 2017, overdose death of 25-year-old Tom Treys.

Judge Wendy G. Rothstein said Jones can serve the jail portion of the sentence over the course of four consecutive weekends, beginning May 31.

Jones will spend the remainder of the three-month sentence under house arrest and intensive supervision by probation officials. Jones likely will have to wear an electronic monitoring device during the house arrest period.

VIDEO: Amanda Jones of #Phoenixville faces jail, house arrest, probation & community service for role in #fentanyl overdose death of boyfriend Tom Treys of #SpringCity. Details coming from #MontcoPa #Court pic.twitter.com/YSKBhDIrFV

— Carl Hessler Jr. (@MontcoCourtNews) May 23, 2019

Jones also must complete an additional three years’ probation after she’s paroled, comply with all recommendations for substance abuse treatment and complete 100 hours of community service, the judge said.

“You delivered, sold or provided fentanyl to an individual who died as a result of your actions,” Rothstein addressed Jones as she imposed the sentence.

Rothstein explained she took into account Jones’s cooperation that led to the identity, arrest and conviction of Davi “Sheed” Wilson, who was part of the supply chain that ended with Treys’ obtaining the fentanyl. Specifically, prosecutors alleged Wilson provided the fentanyl to an unknown associate who then delivered it to Jones who shared it with Treys.

Detectives and prosecutors conceded that but for Jones’s cooperation in the investigation they would not have been able to identify the dealer who supplied the fentanyl that ultimately killed Treys.

“But there should be some jail time,” Rothstein addressed Jones.

“You delivered, sold or provided #fentanyl to an individual who died as a result of your actions,” #MontcoPa Judge Wendy Rothstein addressed Amanda Jones as she sentenced her to jail, house arrest, probation & community service.Rothstein Jones pic.twitter.com/w2FUjhlrmO

— Carl Hessler Jr. (@MontcoCourtNews) May 23, 2019

Jones previously pleaded guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and possession with intent to deliver fentanyl or heroin in connection with the incident. Specifically, Jones admitted to engaging in an unlawful act in a reckless or negligent manner that resulted in the death of another person.

Assistant District Attorney Tonya Lupinacci asked the judge to impose a punishment that took into account Jones’s acceptance of responsibility, her cooperation and her rehabilitative needs. Jones, according to testimony and court documents, has “an extensive drug and alcohol history that started when she was a teenager.”

“We presented to the judge all the information about Amanda Jones,” Lupinacci said. “It was clear from the evidence in this case as well as the reports that were done that Amanda Jones also suffers from substance abuse disorder.

“This is another tragedy in the ongoing opioid epidemic,” Lupinacci added.

#MontcoPa authorities conceded that but for Amanda Jones’s cooperation in investigation they would not have been able to identify the dealer who supplied the #fentanyl that ultimately killed Tom Treys.“But there should be some jail time,” Judge Wendy Rothstein addressed Jones.

— Carl Hessler Jr. (@MontcoCourtNews) May 23, 2019

Rothstein said Jones will have to live with the fact that her conduct resulted in the death of someone she cared about.

Jones and her lawyer Gregory Francis declined to comment about the sentence as they left the courtroom.

Wilson, 26, of Philadelphia, previously pleaded guilty to charges of drug delivery resulting in death and possession with intent to deliver fentanyl in connection with Treys’ fatal overdose and was sentenced to 5½ -to-11-years in prison.

Prosecutors alleged that under the law, even though Wilson did not conduct the hand-to-hand delivery with Treys, he was held ultimately responsible because he started the chain of supply that resulted in Treys’ death.

A #Phoenixville woman’s cooperation with authorities was acknowledged, but a #MontcoPa judge said some jail time was necessary for her role in the #fentanyl overdose death of her boyfriend, a #SpringCity man.Amanda Jones draws 8 days in jail, then house arrest & probation pic.twitter.com/kiBiOxRrS7

— Carl Hessler Jr. (@MontcoCourtNews) May 23, 2019

Authorities alleged that while Jones and Treys apparently believed they had purchased heroin, in reality, it was pure fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 40 to 50 times more deadly than street-level heroin.

An autopsy conducted by the Chester County Coroner’s Office determined that the cause of Treys’ death was acute fentanyl and alcohol intoxication. While Treys died in Spring City, the case was handled by Montgomery County prosecutors because the drug delivery occurred in Norristown.

The investigation began about 9:17 p.m. March 29 when Spring City police responded to a report of an overdose in the 200 block of Riverside Drive in the borough. Police found Treys, who resided on Riverside Drive, unresponsive in the driver’s seat of his Honda Accord. Authorities subsequently pronounced Treys dead at the scene.

Jones, who had been with Treys, told authorities that she snorted a bag of heroin and Treys snorted two bags of heroin and that “this time it felt like nothing she had done in the past,” according to the criminal complaint filed by detectives.

The investigation determined Jones arranged to purchase 12 bags of purported heroin for $60 from Wilson in Norristown earlier on March 29.

Treys and Jones then traveled to Jamison Alley, between George and Chain streets, in Norristown, and purchased what they believed was heroin from a young male who was sent by “Sheed.” After purchasing the heroin, Treys and Jones drove back to Treys’ home and snorted the heroin.

Numerous bags of suspected heroin were recovered from Treys’ vehicle and when they were analyzed they were identified as containing fentanyl, court documents indicate.