CT man sentenced in overdose death of friend, family starts foundation in his honor

An Ellington man was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison Friday for the overdose death of his friend in 2023.

Charles Lewis plead guilty to second-degree manslaughter, admitting to selling Nick Tshonas, 24, a lethal batch of fentanyl while Tshonas was visiting home from his sober living facility.

Tshonas was 90 days sober when he relapsed and had recently been released from rehab, his family said, and was on a path to turn his life around.

“It’s just a tragedy for both of us. We know his family. They know us. We knew Chuck,” Peter Tshonas, the victim’s father, said. “We’re very thankful that we had Nick for 24 years. Wasn’t enough, never will be.”

Prosecutors said Tshonas bought a $20 bag of fentanyl from Lewis, his childhood friend, and later messaged him that he felt "uncomfortably high," yet Lewis didn’t call 911 or Tshonas’ family.

“They were literally teammates. One’s going to jail and one’s dead,” Sam Knox, Tshonas’ stepbrother, said.

Tshonas’ lifeless body was found by his father and stepmother the morning of Sept. 4, 2023, on his bedroom floor.

In a Rockville courtroom Friday, seven of Tshonas’ family members gave emotional impact statements, as did members of Lewis’ family. He also addressed the court, expressing remorse for his actions.

“I want to express my condolences to Nick’s family. I understand I am responsible for the death of my friend. I wish that I could take away the pain my actions have caused the family,” Lewis said. “I never imagined I would lose my friend because of my actions. If I could, I would go back….I wish I could switch places with Nick.”

Tshonas graduated from Ellington High School and UConn, and landed a successful job after college. But his family said he struggled for years with depression, and turned to drugs to cope.

“He just, he needed it. It wasn’t like he was doing it to enjoy it. He needed it to function,” Knox said.

His family has now started a foundation in his honor – ‘In the NICK of Time’ – to help others in his shoes, and to reduce the stigma around addiction and mental illness.

“Our mission is to reduce the stigma around mental health and addiction,” Tshonas said, “with both teenagers, young adults and their families."

“A lot of times people are embarrassed about that. They feel weak…You’re not weak because you’re addicted. Addiction takes over you like a cancer could," he continued.

The family has already visited over half a dozen schools to educate students, and plan a yearly golf tournament around Tshonas’ birthday in August to raise money for the foundation.

In addition to his 7.5-year sentence, Lewis was ordered by the judge to spend the following seven years after his release on special probation. During that time, he’s required to volunteer his time with the foundation at the Tshonas family’s discretion, and donate $500 to the foundation each year.

His defense attorney said he went to rehab and is 1.5 years sober in the wake of Tshonas’ death.

“At the end of the day, that’s what life’s about, in my opinion,” Knox said. “OK, you make a mistake, you learn from the it, you’re punished, and then you come out better on the other side.”

“Parents, please talk to your kids about what’s going on out there. Especially with fentanyl. It’s in everything. This isn’t about this sentence, this is about a tragedy that occurred to two families that can’t be undone,” Tshonas said.

For more information about the foundation, click here.