Muncie man convicted of dealing narcotics that resulted in death
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — A Muncie man was convicted for dealing a controlled substance that caused the overdose death of a woman in 2020, Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday.
According to a release made Wednesday, Michael Schoeff, 37, was convicted for his connection to the 2020 overdose death of Mandy Hart. He was also previously convicted in 2022 for conspiracy to commit dealing in a narcotic drug, both of which are felonies.
On October 20, 2020, officers with the Muncie Police Department began investigating the overdose death of Mandy Hart.
The release says investigators spoke with Hart’s boyfriend, Matt Stockton, who said he had picked up Hart in Indianapolis with his father earlier in the day, and Hart had been determined to buy heroin once they got into Muncie.
Stockton told investigators that he and Hart had purchased drugs from Michael Schoeff and another, Vera Morgan. Hart contacted Morgan in an attempt to get heroin from her.
Court papers say Stockton and Hart met with Schoeff and Morgan at a gas station in Muncie, where she bought what they thought was heroin from Morgan. Stockton told police it had started to rain and Schoeff gave them a ride, dropping them off close to Stockton’s residence.
Stockton then told officers that after he and Hart shared a shot of heroin, Hart had overdosed and Stockton revived her. Investigators say Stockton said after Hart stabilized, she had forgotten she overdosed and the two took another shot.
According to court documents, Stockton told investigators he passed out after the shot and woke up to find Hart not breathing.
Shortly after, officers located Schoeff and Morgan and took them into custody. Court papers say Schoeff admitted to officers that though he didn’t give Hart the heroin that caused her death, he did to dealing heroin to support his and Morgan’s addiction.
Schoeff also told investigators that Hart and Stockton used the heroin at his residence, and Schoeff was aware of Hart’s overdose that Stockton helped her come out of.
Schoeff was then taken into custody. In March, he was sentenced to five years in the Indiana Department of Correction for a previous offense of dealing narcotics. Online court documents say Schoeff was considered a repeat offender for previous unrelated charges.
Schoeff was being held at the Delaware County Jail while awaiting his sentencing. A final sentencing was scheduled for May 17.
