A Latrobe man was convicted Thursday of providing drugs that resulted in a fatal overdose.
Jurors found Zachary Dunlap, 30, guilty of drug delivery resulting in death, conspiracy and possession with intent to deliver in connection with the Jan. 8, 2021, death of Robert J. Verscharen.
Prosecutors contended Dunlap provided a heroin and fentanyl mixture stamped with a red image of the horror film character “Chucky” that Verscharen consumed before his death in a Latrobe home. Jurors deliberated for a couple of hours before returning the verdict.
Assistant District Attorney Leo Ciaramitaro asked the panel in closing arguments not to think of Verscharen, 39, as a statistic. An autopsy report showed his death was caused by fentanyl, though he had a number of controlled substances in his system at the time.
“When we make a person a statistic, we have a tendency to go ‘Well, that’s a sad life. He made his choices,’” Ciaramitaro said. “The law does not assign blame to a victim’s choices. It assigns blame to a defendant’s actions.”
Defense attorney Ken Noga attempted to cast doubt on the testimony of Dunlap’s co-defendant, Megan Wingard, 38, of Latrobe, the woman who city police said facilitated the drug deal.
“You have to question for yourself — whether Megan is lying, whether she is mistaken, whether she is simply wrong or whether she’s telling the truth,” Noga said to jurors.
Although he conceded prosecutors had proved Dunlap’s guilt on the conspiracy charge, he said his client is not a drug dealer, but rather was suffering from an addiction.
“He is no better and no worse than anyone else in this case,” Noga said.
He declined to comment after the verdict was read. The defense did not present any witnesses. Dunlap will be sentenced at a later date.
Wingard is awaiting trial for the same offenses.
