Southwest Greensburg woman accused of providing fatal dose in June drug OD death

Police arrested a Southwest Greensburg woman this week, accusing her of providing drugs to a man who later died of an overdose, according to court papers.

Jennifer Lynn Gartland, 45, is charged with drug delivery resulting in death, possession with intent to deliver and child endangerment.

Southwest Greensburg police said they were called to Gartland’s home just before 6 a.m. June 16 and found Richard J. Conti unresponsive, according to court papers. The 47-year-old 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.

Police said Gartland told them she, Conti and a child walked to South Pennsylvania Avenue in Greensburg, where she bought five stamp bags of heroin for $60. Conti went unresponsive minutes after using one of the stamp bags Gartland gave him, according to court papers.

According to police, she admitted to her alleged role in his death during an interview last week. Gartland posted $25,000 bond Monday and was released from the Westmoreland County Prison. She did not have an attorney listed in online court records, and she could not be reached. A preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 19.

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 appear to have increased slightly in 2020 after two consecutive years of decreases. County coroner statistics show that 102 people died of a drug overdose last year and 19 more cases are suspected. Powerful opioid fentanyl remains the top killer, contributing to 91 of the 102 confirmed deaths, according to coroner statistics.