When you’re accused of dealing drugs, you have more to worry about than just a simple drug charge. If it turns out that people who have purchased or received drugs from you have overdosed and died, you could face charges for their deaths. On top of that, their families may be able to sue you for compensation.
This situation has played out in Cleveland. A man from Cleveland has been found guilty of providing drugs to several people who overdosed, according to a report. The man, an alleged drug dealer working out of Cuyahoga County, pleaded guilty to felony assault in court after being accused of providing illegal drugs to the individuals.
Is it always fair to accuse the person who sold drugs for the deaths of those who chose to take them? That’s debatable, but in Ohio, it’s certainly possible to face charges as a result of your choices impacting other people’s lives.
The man in this case, 36, faces up to eight years in prison for the guilty plea. The Portage County Common Pleas judge accepted the plea and has ordered a presentence investigation to verify the facts.
The man had been indicted in February 2017 for three counts of corrupting another with drugs. Each of those counts was a second-degree felony. It’s believed that he provided heroin to the three people who previously overdosed in December 2016. In this case, at least one of the people who overdosed was a juvenile.
Cases like this are complicated. If you find yourself accused of providing drugs to someone who has died, you need to protect yourself.
Source: Record-Courier, “Cleveland man guilty in overdose case,” Sep. 25, 2017