An Allegheny County man was sentenced after he pleaded guilty in the fentanyl overdose death of a local teenage girl nearly two years ago.
Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Monday that Shakeirs Foster, 29, pleaded guilty in Allegheny County Court to involuntary manslaughter and delivery, and was sentenced to 2 ½ to 6 years in state prison in connection to the death of 15-year-old Mia Pepper. He will not be eligible for boot camp or sentence reduction programming, the press release said.
Pepper lived in Oil City most of her life and attended Oil City Area Middle School before relocating to Oakdale, according to her obituary, which was published in The Derrick on May 24, 2024. At the time of her death, she was in ninth grade at West Allegheny High School.
Pepper died at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh on May 14, 2024, according to her obituary. An autopsy revealed she died of “recent fentanyl use,” the release said.
The fatal fentanyl delivery was traced to Foster by investigators through interviewing witnesses and reviewing cellphone evidence, among other things, the release said.
Witnesses saw a man, later identified as Foster, enter Pepper’s apartment building on May 7 and leave a short time later, according to the release; soon after, the girl became unconscious and 911 was called.
When first responders arrived at the apartment, they “attempted life-saving measures” and transported Pepper to a hospital, but she never regained consciousness, according to the release.
According to a previous news release from the Attorney General’s Office last April announcing the charges, Pepper contacted Foster through social media and requested drugs, which Foster allegedly gave her in exchange for sexual conduct.
In court Monday, a relative read a victim impact statement on behalf of the family.
“(Our child’s) life was stolen from her in the very place where she should have been safest: our home. Because of the defendant’s choices, the apartment we shared became a place of trauma,” the statement read in part, the press release noted. “The defendant did not just take one life; he destroyed the foundation of our family. He took away prom nights, summer memories and the future of a sweet, funny girl who deserved to grow up.”
“This unspeakable tragedy epitomizes the devastation fentanyl causes — a young woman’s hopes and dreams shattered, and her loved ones left with pain and heartache,” Attorney General Sunday said in the press release announcing Foster’s sentencing. “That is why we, along with law enforcement partners, continue to target predatory traffickers who value a few dollars over human life.”
A collaborative investigation involving the Office of Attorney General, North Fayette Police Department and the 51st Statewide Investigating Grand Jury led to the charges, the press release said.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Kara Cotter of the Office of Attorney General’s Drug Strike Force Section.