Charges filed in 2020 fentanyl overdose death in Sewickley Township

A Butler County man is accused of selling the fatal dose of fentanyl that killed a Sewickley Township man.

Matthew S. Steinbook, 41, of Seven Fields supplied three stamp bags of fentanyl to Todd A. Shaak, 40, according to state police Trooper Shane McClelland. Shaak was found dead in the bedroom of his home in the 300 block of Sewickley Avenue on Dec. 26, 2020. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators searched Shaak’s home and seized his cellphone, which contained text messages between the pair, McClelland reported in court documents.

Steinbook sent Shaak multiple texts at 7:19 p.m. Christmas Day, police said.

“I left you a Christmas gift under the purple candle in your bathroom. I left 2 of the John Deere bags. … They’re the ones you like from the other day,” read one text from Steinbook, according to police. “Don’t forget to grab them before somebody sees them.”

Shaak responded that he had already “grabbed” the bags and thanked Steinbook in his reply, McClelland said.

A female friend of Shaak told police Steinbook would sometimes visit Shaak and deliver him contraband. She said Steinbook was at Shaak’s home on Christmas Day.

The coroner’s office ruled last year that Shaak died of a fentanyl overdose. Police said they seized three empty stamp bags that contained fentanyl, one marked “Al Capone” and two marked “John Deere,” out of Shaak’s trash.

On Dec. 27, 2020, troopers reportedly searched Steinbook’s former apartment in Irwin and seized stamp bags labeled “Al Capone” and “John Deere.”

Forensic tests showed the bags seized at the Shaak and Steinbook residences contained fentanyl, according to court papers.

In addition to drug delivery resulting in death, Steinbook was charged Tuesday with two counts of manufacturing, delivery and possession of a controlled substance and single counts of criminal use of a communication facility and illegal possession of a controlled substance.

Steinbook was released on $50,000 unsecured bond pending a preliminary hearing July 11. Attempts to reach his attorney, Lee Rothman of Pittsburgh, were unsuccessful.