Euclid man accused in overdose death of cellmate

A Euclid man is facing multiple charges stemming from the overdose death of his 28-year-old cellmate in the Cuyahoga County Jail.

The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office alleges that 31-year-old Christopher Neal is responsible for the victim’s death.

According to a prosecutor’s office news release, the victim was found unresponsive in a cell by a corrections officer. The officer then alerted other officers and the jail’s medical personnel performed emergency services on the victim. The victim was pronounced dead by Cleveland EMS and was transported to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Officer, where an autopsy was performed and revealed the victim overdosed on fentanyl.

Neal was arrested on Aug. 21 on an outstanding warrant out of Euclid and was transported to the Cuyahoga County Jail where he allegedly smuggled drugs inside, according to the prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors allege that Neal provided the drugs to his cellmate, causing the death. He allegedly later discarded the remainder of the drugs.

Prosecutors said that a months-long investigation led by the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office Detective’s Bureau connected Neal to the crime.

Neal, 31, was indicted by a Cuyahoga County grand jury on charges of firstdegree felony involuntary manslaughter, second-degree felony corrupting another with drugs, thirddegree felony illegal conveyance into a detention facility, third-degree felony tampering with evidence, fifth-degree felony trafficking and fifth-degree felony drug possession.

Prosecutors said that Neal is currently being held at the Cuyahoga County Jail on charges for another pending drug case.

On Sept. 18, Neal was allegedly involved in a crash with a U.S. Postal Service mail truck near Reynolds Road and Butternut Lane in Mentor. Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Officers arrested Neal after drugs, paraphernalia and cash were recovered from the scene.

In that case, Neal is facing charges of first-degree felony trafficking, first-degree felony drug possession, second-degree felony trafficking, second-degree felony drug possession, third-degree felony trafficking, third-degree felony drug possession and fifthdegree felony possession of criminal tools

Neal will be arraigned on the new charges at a later date, when a new bond will be set, according to the prosecutor’s office.