A Greensburg man was arrested Thursday on charges he sold drugs to a woman who authorities say later provided some to a companion, resulting in a fatal overdose, according to court papers.
Jody J. Cicchitello, 51, is charged with drug delivery resulting in death, drug possession and conspiracy.
Southwest Greensburg police said Jennifer Lynn Gartland, 45, and Richard J. Conti, 47, walked to Cicchitello’s South Pennsylvania Avenue apartment on June 16, where Gartland purchased five stamp bags of heroin for $60, according to court papers. Afterwards, the pair returned home to Southwest Greensburg where Conti used some of the drugs and became unresponsive just before 6 a.m., police said.
Conti was taken to Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital, where he died the next day. Toxicology reports showed that he had a lethal level of fentanyl in his system, police said.
Gartland was arrested in January on charges of drug delivery resulting in death, possession with intent to deliver and child endangerment. She admitted to her alleged role in Conti’s death, according to police. Formal arraignment is set for Wednesday, according to online court records.
An arrest warrant was issued for Cicchitello in March and he was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison Thursday on $100,000 bond. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records. A May 11 preliminary hearing is set.
Conti, formerly of the New Castle area, worked as a sheet metal fabricator in Latrobe and was an avid Pittsburgh sports fan, according to his obituary.
Drug overdose deaths in Westmoreland County rose slightly in 2020 after two consecutive years of decreases. County coroner statistics show that 123 people died of a drug overdose last year. The powerful opioid fentanyl remains the top killer, contributing to 109 deaths, according to coroner statistics.
