Taylor man charged with evidence tampering, obstruction, in overdose death of girlfriend
Jul. 6—A Taylor man who found his girlfriend dying of a drug overdose Saturday hid the needle she used and flushed a piece of her cell phone down the toilet, borough police charged.
Anthony Diliberti, 25, 1105 Kerstetter Court, is charged with evidence tampering and for obstructing the investigation of Rachelle Offidani's death, according to a criminal complaint. He is also charged with possessing a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, as well as a firearms charge because police said he sold a rifle and revolver for narcotics.
About 5:11 a.m., police responded to Diliberti's home after he awoke and found Offidani unresponsive in the bathroom. Diliberti told Offidani's mother, Jill Perez, she was still breathing when he found her, according to a criminal complaint. EMS, however, determined she had died.
Perez told police Diliberti and Offidani were habitual heroin users. She reported that Diliberti told her he was concerned Offidani would get in trouble with her probation officer, so he took the needle she used and threw it in the toilet.
However, police also noticed that the SIM card had been removed from Offidani's cell phone. Though he initially denied tampering with it, Deliberti later admitted to police he flushed the SIM card down the toilet to protect her from a probation violation.
Investigators also found pictures of Diliberti holding a rifle and revolver, though police said he is a felon who cannot possess one. Diliberti said he sold the weapons for drugs.
During a search of the home, police found ammunition and firearms accessories, as well as THC wax, drug paraphernalia and a plastic bottle cap containing fentanyl residue, which Deliberti confirmed was the heroin Offidani last used.
Diliberti is in the Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $10,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled 10:45 a.m. Monday.
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9100, x5187; @jkohutTT on Twitter.
