Felon pleads guilty to drug delivery in fatal overdose in Plum
A federal felon from Penn Hills pleaded guilty Tuesday in Allegheny County to delivering the drugs that caused the fatal overdose of an 18-year-old Plum man in 2016.
Dalton Duschl, 23, was sentenced by Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski to four to 10 years in prison in connection with the death of John Shipley.
Duschl also pleaded guilty to one count each of drug delivery resulting in death and delivery of a controlled substance.
On Oct. 21, 2016, according to a criminal complaint, Duschl sold heroin containing fentanyl to Mr. Shipley. Mr. Shipley was found dead from an overdose the next day in his Havana Drive home.
Investigators found security camera video of Duschl arriving at Mr. Shipley’s place of work — the Sheetz on Route 286 — and handing him the drugs, a pink stamp bag labeled “VOTE,” according to the complaint.
Duschl admitted to police that he gave Mr. Shipley the drugs after he and another man, who is not charged, bought them from a man at the Red Roof Inn in Monroeville.
Asked about the lack of charges against the person who was with Duschl when he bought the drugs, Mike Manko, spokesman for the Allegheny County distirct attorney’s office, said, “as with any prosecution, we proceed against the people whom we believe we can sustain our burden of proof.”
As for the status of any investigation into the dealer at the motel, Mr. Manko declined comment.
Duschl pleaded guilty last year to federal charges involving the unlawful possession of firearms by a convicted felon and possession of stolen firearms. He had previously been convicted of receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy in Allegheny County.
A judge in August sentenced Duschl to 30 months in federal prison.
Mr. Manko said the state sentence will be consecutive to Duschl’s federal time.