Pelton
PORT JERVIS – A Port Jervis man has been arrested on charges of
felony drug possession, manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and
criminal injection of a narcotic drug for giving another man a shot of
heroin that killed him.
Kevin Pelton, 58, allegedly injected Joseph Vara, 51, of Nanuet on November
3, 2015 at a residence at 6 Mount William Street in Port Jervis.
Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said Pelton has been charged
for selling and injecting the drugs.
“We believe that those who sell drugs have to be held accountable,
particularly where there is a death and that the drugs are literally poison.
Some contain fentanyl, some contain other very poisonous subjects that
are being cut and diluted with heroin and even raise the risk, but this
is the first prosecution that we have had like this where we are prosecuting
someone for a sale that resulted in a death,” he said.
Hoovler said the grand jury will continue to investigate the incident.
Because of the increased number of heroin overdoses, Port Jervis Police
officers now carry Narcan, the miracle drug that reverses the effects
of an opioid overdose.
