3 men charged in drug-related death of Johns Creek woman

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A Fulton County grand jury has indicted an Alpharetta man and two friends in the drug-related death of a Johns Creek woman, Alpharetta police told Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik Thursday.

Cory Ben-Hanania, 20, is in the Fulton County jail facing charges of felony murder, distribution of heroin and concealing a death, stemming from the death of 20-year-old Chelsea Bennett inside his Alpharetta home.  Police found the Johns Creek woman unconscious in Ben-Hanania’s home on Ridge Oak Place on March 3.

Court records indicate two other men, Sebastian Andrade and Kevin McCaffrey, also face charges related to Bennett’s death.

Police said in a Thursday afternoon news conference that McCaffrey sold the heroin to the Andrade and Ben-Hanania, who then injected Bennett with the drug after coaxing her into trying it.

“The disturbing fact in this case, besides the fact that the victim passed away, is almost 10 hours went by before we were even contacted,” said Alpharetta police spokesman George Gordon. “They literally left her on the floor of that residence."

Ben-Hanania’s attorney, J. Thomas Salata, told Petchenik Bennett was his client’s good friend and called what happened a “tragedy all the way around.”

“My client, when this happened, was devastated,” he said.  “He’s devastated still.  They were best friends.”

Salata said he was still gathering the facts and waiting for the state to present its evidence, but he said he didn’t believe the evidence would show the appropriate charge to be felony murder.

“My client is innocent,” he told Petchenik.

Alpharetta Department of Public Safety Director Gary George said investigators were going to continue to search for the source of the heroin and charge anyone else that could be related to the case.

George said his department has had issues at the Ben-Hanania home going back several years.

Channel 2 Action News reported on the arrest of Ben-Hanania's parents after police said they contributed to the delinquency of a minor when Cory, then 18, was found passed out from drinking vodka in the family's home.  Robert Ben-Hanania denied any wrong-doing at the time.

The three men are due in court next week for a bond hearing.

Chelsea Bennett's family released the following statement about the indictment:

WSBTV