Alleged dealer jailed in overdose

CHARLEROI – A Donora man was arrested Monday on charges he sold fentanyl-laced heroin in April that caused a fatal overdose in Speers.
District Judge Larry Hopkins in Charleroi arraigned Dalton James Lawson, 23, of 403 Fourth St. on charges that include drug delivery resulting in death, setting bail in the case at $500,000, court records show.
The investigation into Lawson began after Charleroi Regional police were called to 111 Howard St. in Speers about 3:40 p.m. April 3 where Mark Farrell, 23, was found unresponsive by his mother, who told officers her son was a heroin addict, according to the affidavit supporting the criminal charges in the case. The Washington County coroner’s office pronounced Farrell dead at 4:50 p.m. that day, and later ruled he died from fentanyl toxicity.
Police also found five stamp bags of heroin labeled Diesel near Farrell’s body. Tests of the drugs performed by state police determined the stamp bags contained fentanyl.
Investigators also took Farrell’s cellphone, downloaded its contents and discovered text-based conversations between Farrell and two other phone numbers between April 1 and 2 regarding the purchase of heroin, the affidavit states.
Police identified the owners of the phones, and an officer spoke with one of them regarding arrangements that were made April 2 to pick up Farrell, pool their money and drive to a location in the Mon Valley to purchase 10 stamp bags of heroin from Lawson, the court record alleges. The heroin that was purchased that Sunday was stamped Diesel, and the bags also bore symbols of a green gas pump, markings that were identical to those found beside Farrell the day he died, the record states.
Meanwhile, Lawson reported April 20 to his probation officer in Washington County, and he was immediately detained for violating his probation. He is serving two years of probation after pleading guilty to drug possession Oct. 14 before Judge Gary Gilman in a case filed by Donora police, online court records show.
Lawson’s cellphone was seized and turned over the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which received a federal search warrant to download its contents. Police claim the phone contained many text messages between March 23 and April 20 regarding the distribution of heroin, that Lawson stated in one outgoing text message the stamp bags bearing the name Diesel he was selling contained fentanyl, the affidavit alleges.
Lawson remains in Washington County jail, where he also faces charges of drug possession with intent to deliver, criminal use of a cellphone, conspiracy, drug possession and reckless endangerment.
He sat with his head down Monday with his eyes on his new court records while Hopkins arraigned him by video from the jail.
When asked twice by Hopkins if he understood the charges he faces, Lawson replied: “I need my lawyer present, sir.”