Man sentenced for selling drugs causing teen overdoses

Elias Santiago, a 27-year-old from Egg Harbor Township, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for selling drugs that led to the fatal overdoses of two teenagers, aged 14 and 17. The pills contained fentanyl and methamphetamine, disguised as Percocet. The overdoses occurred in August 2022 after the 17-year-old purchased the pills in Sea Isle City. Autopsies confirmed that fentanyl was the cause of death for both teens. Santiago pleaded guilty in December 2024 to two counts of drug-induced death. He will serve nearly 13 years before being eligible for parole.