Lethal Heroin Overdose of Montville Woman Leads to Man's Guilty Plea

A Lincoln Park man pleaded guilty to drug-induced homicide charges Friday in relation to the March overdose death of Montville's Erin Idone.

Matthew Weisholz, 28, could face up to ten years in prison (five years on each of the two charges of first-degree strict liability drug-induced death and a third-degree drug charge), subject to the No Early Release Act, as part of his plea deal, according to Morris County Acting Prosecutor Fredric Knapp.

Idone, 29, who had dated Weisholz previously, was found unresponsive in her home the morning of March 6 as investigators determined she had taken heroin the night prior. Idone had recently been released from an out-of-state rehabilitation facility which Weisholz was aware of, according to Knapp.

According to the charges Weisholz told Idone he would meet her in Montville, where he gave her heroin and a needle and where she took the dose in his presence, Knapp said. She then went home and to bed where she was discovered the next day. An autopsy confirmed Idone's death to be caused by heroin intoxication, Knapp said.

Investigators searched Weisholz's home and found heroin that had a matching stamp as the fold in Idone's possession, Knapp said. He was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of a controlled dangerous substance.

Weisholz posted $75,000 cash bail on March 7, Knapp said. Since Idone's death, her family has since relocated from New Jersey.

“This young woman’s death is the type of tragedy we are trying to avert by heightened narcotics enforcement," Knapp said. "Unfortunately, the flow of heroin into our county continues, however, it is a priority of this administration to hopefully stem the tide and prevent such senseless deaths in the future.”

Weisholz is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 27.