Philly Drug Dealer Who Pleaded Guilty In Connection With Abington Overdose Death Gets Jail

ABINGTON, PA — A Philadelphia man who Montgomery County authorities had charged in connection with the April 2020 drug overdose death of an Abington Township man is heading to prison after entering a guilty plea in the case.

Edwin V. Rodriguez, 38, of Philadelphia's Lawncrest neighborhood, was recently sentenced by a Montgomery County Common Pleas Court judge to between six to 12 years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of possession with intent to manufacture or deliver drugs, according to news reports and court records.

The Pottstown Mercury reported that Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas C. Branca imposed the sentence following the guilty plea late last month, which is confirmed by a search of the criminal docket sheet in the case.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele and Abington Township Police Chief Patrick Malloy had announced the arrest of Rodriguez back in June 2020, which came after the April 13, 2020 death of 36-year-old Patrick Cumiskey.

Police and medics called to Cumiskey's Abington home around 5:31 p.m. that day were unable to revive the man after he overdosed on illegal drugs and he was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene, the D.A.'s office previously stated.

Investigators with Montgomery County, the Abington Police Department and a Philadelphia Police Narcotics Unit ultimately tied Rodriguez to the drugs that made their way to Cumiskey, and Rodriguez was eventually arrested and charged with 12 counts of possession with intent to deliver, aggravated assault, simple assault, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal use of a communications facility.

After investigators obtained a warrant to search Rodriguez's home, they discovered numerous amounts of drugs and weapons.

"We need to make sure that those suffering from substance use disorder get the help they need," Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a statement at the time of the arrest. "At the same time, we are committed to continuing to investigate and arrest these deealers who are profiting by selling these deadly drugs."

Records show that Rodriguez pleaded guilty to the various charges during a court hearing on Sept. 30. Other charges initially lodged against Rodriguez appeared to have been dropped in exchange for the plea deal, the record shows.

More details of the case can be read here in a previous Patch news report.