Alleged drug dealer charged with homicide
Man charged with delivering drugs to hospital room of overdose victim
NORRISTOWN » Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele sent a message loud and clear to those who sell drugs that lead to someone’s death:
“You will be charged with homicide,” he said. “This is the fourth arrest for this charge in 2017 and I can assure you that more arrests will be coming.”
Steele joined East Norriton Township police Chief Karyl J. Kates and Plymouth Township police Chief Joseph F. Lawrence to announce the criminal homicide charge of drug delivery resulting in death has been filed against Travis Siuta, 29, of East Norriton, in connection with the May 6, 2017 overdose death of Ciara Hadrick, 30, of Norristown. Hadrick had allegedly received pills, heroin and the synthetic opioid fentanyl five times from Siuta while she was a patient being treated for an undisclosed non-lifethreatening condition at Einstein Medical Center in East Norriton.
“This man sold poison,” Steele said. “Heroin, pills, fentanyl. This was not on some street corner in Montgomery County … It was to a hospital. A place where people go to be healed and helped. Instead, for Ciara Hadrick, it was where she died from the poison that he delivered to her to her hospital room.”
East Norriton Township police responded to the hospital at 3:45 a.m. on May 6 for a reported overdose death of a patient. A nurse found Hadrick unresponsive in the bathroom of her hospital room at around 2:30 a.m. Attempts to revive her were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at 3:06 a.m. Two empty, blue wax-style bags were found under the body, and one blue wax style bag containing a white powdery substance was found in Hadrick’s clothing. This packaging is the type commonly used for packaging heroin. A syringe was also found at the scene, according to a press release issued Wednesday.
The ensuing investigation by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau’s Narcotics Enforcement Team revealed that earlier in the evening at 11:49 p.m. May 5, Siuta allegedly signed the hospital’s after hours sign-in logs as a visitor to Hadrick’s room. His arrival and departure eight minutes later were captured on hospital surveillance video. Through text messaging records, detectives determined that Siuta allegedly delivered three bags of purported heroin to Hadrick that evening. The investigation also found that it was Siuta’s fifth drug delivery to Hadrick’s room during her stay, each of which were arranged by text messages and Siuta’s arrival and departure from the hospital were captured on video surveillance. Hospital administrators and security personnel fully cooperated with the investigation, the release states.
Siuta allegedly first delivered two bags of heroin for $20 following a series of text messages with Hadrick.
The next delivery took place May 3, when Hadrick purchased one bag of heroin for $10. Then, on May 4, Siuta sold Hadrick $10 worth of the prescription drug Ativan, used to treat anxiety disorder. Then, again on May 4, Siuta came back to sell more Ativan, as Hadrick complained in a text message the pills she received previously did not contain the agreed upon strength she had negotiated with Siuta beforehand. Then, on May 5, Hadrick asked to purchase three bags of heroin for $10 each.
National Medical Services tested the three bags recovered from Hadrick’s hospital room and found them to contain fentanyl instead of heroin. Fentanyl is 40 to 50 times stronger than street-level heroin. An autopsy by the Montgomery County Chief Deputy Coroner Gregory McDonald determined that the cause of death was accidental overdose by fentanyl, according to the release.
Siuta is charged with drug delivery resulting in death, a felony criminal homicide charge that could result in a sentence of up to 40 years — a penalty similar to that for third-degree murder — as well as possession with intent to deliver, criminal use of a communication facility, recklessly endangering another person and possession of a controlled substance.
Siuta was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Ester J. Casillo. Bail was denied, and Siuta was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Aug. 9 before Casillo. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tonya Lupinacci.