A former nurse with a heroin addiction could spend most of the next decade in prison for selling a friend a fatal dose of fentanyl in 2022.
Lancaster County Court Judge Dennis Reinaker on Monday sentenced Valerie Benatti, 29, of Harleysville, Montgomery County, to 5 to 10 years in state prison for selling fentanyl to Erika Oostdam, 55, of Millersville, at Zook’s Motel in Leola two days before she died of an overdose.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman read to the court a letter from Oostdam’s daughter, Alexandra Slaugh, in which she asks Reinaker to impose the maximum sentence to send a message to drug suppliers that what they are doing is dangerous and wrong.
“(Benatti’s actions) were a betrayal and disregarding of human life,” Slaugh said in her letter.
Public defender Rian Thompson said Benatti had a recent criminal history, which stemmed from a heroin addiction she developed while working as a nurse.
Benatti has eight previous drug-related convictions in the state, and in Lancaster County was sentenced to up to 23 months in prison in 2023. She was sentenced to up to 23 months in prison in Montgomery County the same year. She is currently in Lancaster County Prison.
Thompson said Benatti told him being in prison has been one of the best things for her, as she has been clean since she was imprisoned Jan. 9, 2023.
“She had used as well and miraculously survived,” Thompson said. “She’s lucky to have kept her life.”
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Thompson said Oostdam’s death had affected Benatti. He said Oostdam’s son, Parker Slaugh, also died of a drug overdose several months later, further motivating Benatti.
Choking back a sob and addressing Reinaker, Benatti said she is trying to use this experience to reform her life and apologized for everything that happened.
“Erika was my friend,” Benatti said. “I’m extremely sorry for the loss of her life.”
Reinaker told Benatti her case is unusual, as she had a solid education and career before drugs destroyed her life. While sympathizing with the hardships in her life, he said he could not overlook previous drug charges and convictions in her sentencing.
“You’ve had a difficult go of it,” Reinaker said to Benatti. “Your whole life has been a challenge.”
Reinaker’s sentence was standard for someone convicted of drug delivery resulting in death. Benatti, standing before the judge handcuffed in a blue prison jumpsuit, took the news quietly and was escorted from the courtroom.
