Drug Arrests Made After 18-Year-Old Dies In Warsaw

BY JEN GIBSON, Times-Union Staff Writer

Illegal Methadone use led to the arrests of two Syracuse men Wednesday afternoon and may have played a part in the death of an 18-year-old man in Warsaw Tuesday.

The teen, whose name is not being released by police until toxicology reports are complete, died Tuesday at an apartment complex in Warsaw. Police and the Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office suspect his death was a possible overdose of Methadone and/or other prescription drugs.

Wednesday evening, Jonathan W. Shaw, 32, of 201 E. Greenhaus Drive, Syracuse, and David Michael Vela, 22, of 201 E. Pittsburgh St., Syracuse, were arrested for dealing Methadone, a schedule II controlled substance. Both are being held in the Kosciusko County Jail without bond.

According to the Warsaw Police Department, Shaw had a valid prescription for the drug, but he reportedly sold pills that made their way to the 18-year-old.

Vela was arrested because he allegedly facilitated the sale of the Methadone to the teen the morning of his death.

The teen and Vela allegedly went to Shaw’s residence in Syracuse to buy Methadone Tuesday morning. Vela reportedly went in the residence and purchased the drugs, which were ingested later at a Warsaw apartment complex.

Two women also at the complex reportedly took the Methadone around the same time as the 18-year-old man. When the women awoke in the apartment complex, the teen was unresponsive and later was pronounced dead by the Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office.

Police served a search warrant at Shaw’s Syracuse home with the Kosciusko County Special Weapons and Tactics team, and seized evidence from the home.

Both Shaw and Vela reportedly admitted their involvement in this incident, and the case has been forwarded to the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office for review. More charges may apply and be considered after the information is reviewed.

The Warsaw Police Department was assisted in this investigation by the Kosciusko County Drug Task Force, Syracuse Police Department, Kosciusko County coroner, Kosciusko County prosecutor and SWAT team.

The incident remains under investigation by Warsaw police detectives and the coroner.

Area police and coroner’s offices are concerned with recent deaths caused by overdoses of prescription drugs, especially Methadone. Multiple deaths have occurred in the county in the past eight weeks involving overdoses in young adults.