An alleged drug dealer is facing Manslaughter charges after a man overdosed and died on the drugs she provided. The dealer, the deceased man’s girlfriend, apparently provided the man with the heroin he used to overdose and then did not get him the immediate help he needed while overdosing. According to text messages pulled from her phone, she admitted the man had shot up too much and had to be dragged from the car to the house 3 hours prior to calling for help. The police also found five balloons filled with almost 6 grams of heroin, allowing them to charge her with Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance along with the Manslaughter charge.
Manslaughter Charges in Larimer County
Manslaughter – C.R.S. 18-3-104 – is defined by Colorado law as:
(a) Such person recklessly causes the death of another person; or
(b) Such person intentionally causes or aids another person to commit suicide.
It could be argued that since the girlfriend did not call 911 for help when her boyfriend first became unresponsive, she recklessly caused his death. An important term in this definition is ‘recklessly.’ In Larimer, Boulder, and Grand County,
Because she provided him with the drugs that rendered him unresponsive and then didn’t get him the help he needed, the DA assumes she disregarded the risk to his life, and therefore should be held responsible in his death.
[pullquote align=”center” textalign=”center” width=”100%”]Have you been charged with Manlaughter? Contact the experienced attorney from the O’Malley Law Office to defend you today![/pullquote]
What is Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance in Loveland?
Unlawful Distribution, Manufacturing, Dispensing, or Sale – C.R.S. 18-18-405 – is defined by Colorado law as:
Heroin is a Schedule I drug in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park, and any charges involving a Schedule I drug will be punished more harshly than a Schedule II, III, IV, or V drug. Because of the amount of heroin found in the woman’s possession, she will likely be facing a Level 2 Drug Felony. This level drug felony is punishable with 4 to 8 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections and up to $750,000 in fines.