A former Sellersville woman has admitted to operating a multi-county violent drug trafficking ring and selling the drugs that led to the 2023 overdose death of a Bucks County man.
At a Sept. 24 court appearance,
Shana Finlan, 40, of Lansdale entered guilty pleas to nine felonies including corrupt organizations, drug delivery and drug delivery resulting in death, plus related misdemeanors in separate cases.
Bucks County Senior Common Pleas Judge Gary Gilman accepted the pleas and deferred sentencing, though no date was scheduled. Finlan remains incarcerated in Bucks County Correctional center in lieu of $450,000 bail on each of the cases.
A Bucks County grand jury in 2025 recommended charging Finlan in the death of Perkasie resident Kenneth Klingman, 65, who was found dead in February 2023.
At the time, Finlan was also under separate investigation in Bucks County for running a drug trafficking operation out of a Perkasie landscaping business in 2022 and 2023.
The organization was linked to a series of violent crimes, illegal firearm sales and overdose deaths of Klingman and Justin DiDonato of Sellersville in 2024, according to the Bucks County DA's office. Finlan was among the 19 people charged in the operation earlier this year at the recommendation of a Bucks County grand jury.
Klingman was found dead Feb. 17, 2023 in the 5000 block of Route 309 in Center Valley in Lehigh County. An autopsy determined he died of methamphetamine toxicity.
Finlan supplied drugs associated with fatal overdoses in Philadelphia and Lehigh counties, and with a nonfatal overdose in Doylestown, according to the grand jury report.
In early 2023, authorities became aware of a nonfatal overdose in Doylestown where Finlan was the suspected supplier, the presentment said. They also learned of a separate police investigation into Klingman’s drug-related death.
At the time, Klingman was staying at the home of Debbie Lisa Booth, where he was found dead. Klingman and Booth had purchased drugs from Finlan, according to the presentment.
Booth, 63, testified before the grand jury that she found Klingman dead in her living room when she returned home after “probably” from buying drugs from Finlan, the presentment said.
Booth testified that the day after Klingman died Finlan came to her house looking for his cellphone. She wanted to see the text messages because she thought they’d made her look bad, the presentment said.
Booth found methamphetamines on Klingman’s dead body, which she later gave to Finlan along with his cellphone, the presentment said.
Authorities allege that text messages on the phone connected Finlan with the drugs that Klingman had overdosed on.
Booth was also charged in the Klingman overdose case. She is awaiting trial in Bucks County on two misdemeanor counts of tampering with evidence and conspiracy. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 1.
Finlan’s ex-boyfriend also testified before the grand jury last year that she sold methamphetamine and fentanyl, and that he had witnessed Finlan selling drugs to Klingman before his death.
He also testified that Finlan had discussed providing drugs involved in at least two other fatal overdoses.
Crime and courts reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Woman admits to drug trafficking, 2023 overdose death of Perkasie man
