NYC heroin supplier to founder of local rehab center sentenced

A heroin dealer from New York City will spend 30 months in federal prison for supplying the founder of the Next Step rehab center in McKees Rocks who federal agents say was actually one of the region’s largest drug dealers.

U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed that term Tuesday on William Rosario, 25.

He pleaded guilty last year to supplying David Francis, who is awaiting trial on multiple counts related to dealing heroin under the guise of being a drug counselor. Rosario’s cousin, Pedro Rosario, also from New York, is set to be sentenced Wednesday on similar counts.

Jose Ortega of New York also is accused of making drug trips to the area with William and awaits trial.

When Mr. Francis was arrested in 2017 by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, he told agents his sources for heroin were “two guys from New York,” the Rosario cousins. He also helped them in their own cases, according to prosecutors.

After their arrests here, he got them released to his Next Step Recovery Housing program by fooling court officers into believing it was a real rehab center, according

to the DEA. Agents said it was really a drug den.

In pre-sentencing papers, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tonya Goodman said William had been charged in state court with possession with intent to deliver when he was released on bond to Mr. Francis’ “sham rehabilitation center.”

William was arrested Feb. 6, 2017, at a house in Monroeville. DEA agents said he and Ortega had delivered drugs to a man there and tried to flee, but police caught them and recovered multiple bricks of heroin, some containing stamp bags marked “Lucky 7.”

While William was in jail, he called Mr. Francis to get him released to Next Step.

When DEA agents raided Next Step later that year, they found the same “Lucky 7” bags.

Prosecutors said William and Ortega made numerous drug trips from New York to Pittsburgh to deliver heroin in 2016 and 2017. Pedro also made drug runs and was arrested with heroin in Robinson in 2015.

Mr. Francis, 67, is charged with distributing heroin and delivering fentanyl that injured users in Ingram and Beaver County.