Neal Forte, 59, of Shenandoah, entered the guilty plea in Luzerne County Court ahead of a trial that had been scheduled for this week before Judge Michael T. Vough.
According to court records, Forte had originally been charged with drug delivery resulting in death and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Under a plea agreement negotiated by defense attorney William J. Watt III and First Assistant District Attorney Anthony Ross, Forte pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Hazleton City police alleged that Forte supplied fentanyl to his wife, Brianna Wright-Forte, 27, while the couple were living on Seybert Street on March 28, 2021.
Police responded to the residence after Wright-Forte was found unresponsive in a bathroom. Officers administered multiple doses of Narcan in an attempt to revive her, but she could not be saved, according to court records.
Forte has remained free on bail throughout the court proceedings.
The plea was entered shortly before jury selection was scheduled to begin in Luzerne County Court.
This report contains information provided by Fox56.