Troy man sentenced on drug sale charges, death-resulting charge dropped
Jun. 22—As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors earlier this month dropped a charge alleging a Troy man provided fentanyl to someone who died of an overdose after using it.
Judge Jacki Smith sentenced Saith Corliss, 31, on two lesser felony drug charges on June 10 in Cheshire County Superior Court.
He pleaded guilty to those two counts of sale of a controlled drug as part of the agreement that the state dismiss the special felony charge of sale of a controlled drug with death resulting, according to court documents.
Smith sentenced Corliss to 270 days in the Cheshire County jail on one count of sale of a controlled drug, and five years probation, with a five- to 10-year sentence suspended, on the other count, documents state.
Corliss received 247 days credit toward his jail sentence for time spent behind bars before his case was concluded.
Early the morning of Jan. 1, 2021, police responded to the death of a 28-year-old man in Keene who appeared to have overdosed on fentanyl, according to an affidavit written by Keene police Detective Jennifer Truman.
The two people whose residence the man had been staying overnight told police he had been living in a sober home but had been allowed to leave for one night, Truman wrote. Not knowing the man had relapsed, they said, they went to bed around 2 a.m. and awoke to find he had overdosed, at which point they called 911 and attempted CPR, the affidavit states.
Police gained temporary access to the man's phone and found texts between him and Corliss that appeared to show the man trying to buy drugs from Corliss, according to court documents.
In an interview, Corliss told police he had a drug habit and was lifelong friends with the man, Truman wrote in the affidavit. Corliss said the man had texted him looking for drugs on Dec. 31, 2020, and that he'd sold him some, the affidavit states.
Later in the day, Corliss said he notified the man that the person he got drugs from — allegedly Jeffrey Roy — would be back in town and he could get him more fentanyl if he wanted it, Truman wrote. Corliss then picked the drugs up from Roy and sold them to the man who later died, the affidavit states.
Roy, 25, of Fitzwilliam, was later arrested and charged with four drug charges, including sale of a controlled drug with death resulting, according to court documents. He was arraigned in Cheshire County Superior Court on Jan. 8, 2021.
As a condition of his suspended sentence, Corliss is required to testify truthfully in Roy's cases, Corliss' sentencing document states. The suspended sentence is also conditioned on him completing drug and alcohol treatment and counseling and education programs.
Ryan Spencer can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1412, or rspencer@keenesentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @rspencerKS.
