Man charged in 2016 fatal drug OD in Upper Macungie

A Montgomery County man has been charged in a 2016 fatal overdose in Upper Macungie Township that claimed the life of a 22-year-old woman.

Ryan Shimp, 27, of Towamencin Township is charged with drug delivery resulting in death and conspiracy to commit drug delivery resulting in death, according to a news release issued Monday by Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin.

Shimp also faces additional charges of criminal use of a cellphone, delivery and possession of controlled substances. Authorities say Shimp was taken into custody Friday in Montgomery County and will be returned to Lehigh County.

According to the news release: Police were called just after 3 a.m. Feb. 17, 2016, to a home at 464 Mountain View Court, where they found Nicole Werst dead from an apparent drug overdose. Police say they found three plastic baggies near Werst that contained a mixture of heroin and fentanyl.

Werst’s death was due to an overdose of fentanyl, officials said.

Werst’s cellphone revealed a series of text messages beginning on Feb. 15 between her and Shimp, requesting he provide her with heroin.

Investigators say Shimp gave his cellphone to Meredith Corbet and told her to continue contact with Werst and provide the heroin.

Police say Corbet picked up Werst, took her to a bank to withdraw cash and then drove Werst to her home. Corbet then purchased two bundles of heroin from an unidentified drug dealer in Allentown and took the drugs to Shimp’s workplace.

Both Corbet and Shimp used one of the heroin bundles and took the second bundle to Werst, police say.

Corbet was charged in 2018 with drug delivery resulting in death, conspiracy to commit drug delivery resulting in death and related charges. Corbet, of Stewartsville, New Jersey, is awaiting trial on those charges. She remains in Lehigh County Jail on $150,000 bail.