Many West Virginia residents may well have heard how the President of the United States recently indicated that what some refer to as an opioid problem is actually now a public health emergency. The number of people who have become addicted to these medications has increased over the years and many of these people have even died as a result of their addictions. In some areas the people who are said to have provided the drugs to a person could potentially be charged as criminals in these cases.
An example of this can be seen in Hernshaw in Kanawha County. A deceased man’s body was reportedly found in a grocery story parking lot and it is believed the man died from an overdose involving heroin. Few details are known exactly about how much heroin might have been in the man’s system or really how and why he may have obtained or used it. However, two people have been arrested in conjunction with this case.
A woman who is 40 years old and a man who is 27 years old are accused of possession with the intent to distribute narcotics. However, there is some discussion that the pair may end up being charged with the murder of the man who died from the overdose. No details were given on the relationship between the defendants and the deceased.
When faced with serious criminal charges in West Virginia, defendants might want to talk with a lawyer to learn how they might defend themselves.
Source: Metro News, “Two facing drug charges in Kanawha County after overdose death,” November 18, 2017
