Pittsburgh police charge suspected drug dealer in fatal overdose

Pittsburgh police have for the first time charged a suspected drug dealer with a man’s fatal overdose.

Investigators believe Darnell Stephens, 21, of Perry South, sold heroin to University of Pittsburgh student Ian Williams, 23, of South Abington, Lackawanna County, before he overdosed and died March 22 at a home on Cobden Street in the South Side.

Mr. Stephens is charged with drug delivery resulting in death, criminal use of a communication facility and delivery of a prohibited substance. All are felonies.

It’s the first time city police have used a state law that allows them to charge a dealer in a fatal overdose, spokeswoman Sonya Toler said.

The law has been used by other agencies in the region. In April, Bethel Park police charged a Bethel Park man and Carnegie woman with the fatal overdose of a 28-year-old woman. In January, McCandless police brought such charges against a West Deer man after a 29-year-old man overdosed.

The Allegheny County District Attorney’s office is prosecuting several drug delivery resulting in death cases, and also has several ongoing investigations underway, spokesman Mike Manko said Monday.

Pittsburgh police narcotics and vice Cmdr. Reyne Kacsuta said Monday that police investigate every overdose death and will bring drug delivery resulting in death

charges against dealers whenever appropriate.

“I want to say to people who deal drugs in the city of Pittsburgh, that we are going to investigate these cases, and we are going to charge you with drug delivery resulting in death when we get that evidence, and you’re going to go to jail,” Cmdr. Kacsuta said.

Text messages on Mr. Williams’ cell phone led police to suspect Mr. Stephens, according to a criminal complaint. Police executed a search warrant on Mr. Stephens on April 6 as part of the investigation into Mr. Williams’ death, according to court records. Officers seized heroin, marijuana, a firearm, cash, three cell phones and two holsters from the 21-year-old, according to the criminal complaint.

He was arrested in April and charged with a handful of drug and gun charges. He then consented to be interviewed without an attorney and admitted to police that he’d sold heroin to Mr. Williams on the night he died, according to the complaint.

He said he met Mr. Williams on East Carson Street on the South Side and gave Mr. Williams two bundles of heroin for $110.

Mr. Stephens said the stamp bags said “Lizz” on them and were stamped with the image of a black lizard. Police found stamp bags with the same markings around Mr. Williams’ body.

After the interview, Mr. Stephens posted a $25,000 bond on April 8 and was released.

Police filed a warrant on the new charges on Thursday. Mr. Stephens was arrested outside of the city Monday morning, according to police.

He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Downtown Magisterial District Court on June 30.