JAMES CITY — An Elk County man has been jailed on felony charges after he was allegedly found to be connected with a fatal drug overdose that occurred in January.
Daniel Alan Gillespie, 36, of James City, is charged with the manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, a felony; conspiracy by the manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, a felony; recklessly endangering another person, a misdemeanor in the second degree; criminal use of a communication facility, a felony in the third degree; and possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, according to a criminal complaint filed at Magisterial District Judge James Martin’s office May 4.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, state police in Ridgway were contacted regarding a reported male overdose on Jan. 31 at a Delaware Avenue residence in James City. When troopers and EMS arrived, the male victim was pronounced dead at the scene by the Elk County deputy coroner.
While searching the scene for evidence, police located multiple items of suspected controlled substances and paraphernalia, including a stamp bag of suspected heroin/fentanyl next to the victim’s feet, which appeared to be empty; more stamp bags; a spoon, cotton ball and syringe on the counter in the kitchen; full stamp bags that were rubber-banded into a bundle, and one stamp bag outside of the bundle on the counter, according to the affidavit of probable cause. The empty stamp bag had the word “Xbox” on the bag.
Lab reports indicated the residue in the metal spoon from the scene contained heroin and fentanyl. It also indicated the empty stamp bag contained residue of heroin and fentanyl, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
On Feb. 6, Gillespie was interviewed by police, who said the victim asked him for controlled substances — namely heroin. Gillespie said the victim let him use his car to go to the bank and retrieve $150 with his bank card. He admitted to police that he drove the victim’s car to pick up the controlled substance and drove back to the victim’s residence. Gillespie said the victim provided a “bundle,” which he assumed was 10 heroin packs.
On Feb. 7, the post-mortem forensic toxicology and certificate of death for the victim were provided to police. The immediate cause of death is listed as “combined drug overdose, predominantly involving methamphetamine and fentanyl,” according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Messages on the victim’s phone showed that he requested Gillespie get him a “bun” — 10 bags of heroin/fentanyl — and that he could use the victim’s car to do so.
A transaction receipt from a bank showed $150 was taken out of the victim’s account on Jan. 31. Gillespie is also seen on bank surveillance that day.
Police interviewed another person on April 18, who said that Gillespie had asked him to get him 10 stamp bags of heroin. The man told police Gillespie drove him to the dealer and he allegedly bought “a bundle,” then giving it to Gillespie.
Gillespie waived his preliminary hearing at Martin’s office May 10, and will be formally arraigned at the Elk County Court of Common Pleas June 2. Bail was set at $100,000.
