Cops: Burlington County Drug Dealer Charged in Fatal Overdose

A Mount Holly woman has been charged with causing the death of a Lumberton man who fatally overdosed on fentanyl earlier this year.

53-year-old Linda Naulty was charged earlier this week with first-degree Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Death, third-degree Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, and third-degree Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance.

Naulty was served with the charges at the Atlantic County Justice Facility in Mays Landing, which is where Burlington County’s female inmates are held.

Authorities say she has been held since February after being charged with multiple counts of possessing and planning to sell illegal drugs in connection with the same case.

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Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina says an investigation began back in February after Lumberton police officers were dispatched to the 500 block of Main Street for a report of an unconscious man. When they arrived, they found the body of 29-year-old Paul Cronrath, IV, who had fatally overdosed in his bedroom.

Coffina says, "Within a few hours, investigators identified Naulty as the source of the drugs. When taken into custody, she had in her possession multiple doses of fentanyl and nearly $1,400 in cash."

The charges were upgraded after a toxicology test confirmed that the drugs found in Cronrath’s bedroom were identical to the ones Naulty had at the time of her arrest.

The case will now be prepared for presentation to a grand jury for possible indictment.

All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.