Unity man gets up to 16 years for role in Latrobe woman's 2019 deadly overdose

A Unity man was ordered to serve up to 16 years in prison for selling drugs that caused a fatal overdose of a Latrobe woman in 2019.

Chad E. Ghrist, 46, pleaded guilty Monday to drug delivery resulting in death and other felony counts in connection with the death of 40-year-old Rebecca Campbell and two other unrelated drug deals in 2019.

Campbell was found dead in her Latrobe home in August 2019. Police said evidence revealed she purchased fentanyl-laced heroin from Ghrist the day before her fatal overdose. According to court records, police said Ghrist’s DNA was found on two empty stamp bags found near Campbell’s body.

A toxicology report that was part of Campbell’s autopsy indicated she died from an overdose of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, according to court records.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger sentenced Ghrist to serve eight to 16 years in prison for Campbell’s death. The judge ordered the sentence to run concurrent to a 3-to-8 year prison sentence imposed by an Indiana County judge in 2021 after Ghrist pleaded guilty to drug charges filed against him in 2019.

Ghrist’s criminal record dates to 1998, reflecting more than a dozen convictions in Westmoreland, Allegheny and Indiana counties to charges that include drug offenses, burglary and theft, according to court records.