Judge sentences Dickson City man to state prison for supplying deadly dose of drugs
Mar. 2—A Dickson City man who pleaded guilty to supplying a woman with a fatal dose of heroin and fentanyl was sentenced Tuesday to five to 10 years in state prison.
Speaking briefly over video conferencing software, Nicholas Bufano, 33, 608 Hallstead St., said he accepts responsibility for the role he played in the Sept. 22, 2018 overdose death of Sinead R. McManus. His attorney, Brett Riegel, called it a tragedy, but said his client did not give McManus the drugs thinking he would cause her death.
"I hope the period of time he'll be incarcerated he'll take advantage of even more treatment and learning opportunities to prevent him from coming before the court again," Riegel said.
Bufano was also sentenced to five years of probation.
Bufano pleaded guilty in December to a count of drug delivery resulting in death. State police charged that Bufano sold McManus, 27, heroin and fentanyl, which she fatally overdosed on at a friend's home in Lake Ariel.
Investigators uncovered text messages that showed she spoke to Bufano about buying drugs and met with him.
During the hearing, the victim's mother, Terri McManus, said her daughter was her "best friend" and "entire world." She was a kind person who was more than just her addiction.
One action, good or bad, can ripple outward, she added. This one action destroyed her family.
"When Nicholas Bufano sold my daughter the lethal dose, he sentenced me to life with no parole," she said. "I will spend the rest of my days mourning the loss of my baby."
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