Woman Accused Of Selling Deadly Dose Of Heroin Could Face Up To 40 Years In Prison
HATBORO, Pa. (CBS) -- A Hatboro woman could face decades in prison as she is charged in the overdose death of Willow Grove man.
Authorities say she sold him what was supposed to be heroin, but was actually a much deadlier synthetic opioid that is causing an alarming jump in overdoses across the country.
Twenty-seven-year-old Gwendolyn Prebish is charged with Drug Delivery Resulting in Death. Prosecutor Kathleen McLaughlin says that charge carries similar penalties to Third Degree Murder - up to 40 years in prison.
"If you are selling heroin and especially Fentanyl in Montgomery County, and you cause the death of someone, you are going to be charged with that and we are going to come after you."
Investigators say Prebish sold drugs to 32-year-old Michael Pastorino of Willow Grove. Pastorino died of an overdose, and tests showed what was said to be heroin was actually the synthetic opioid, Fentanyl which McLaughlin says is 40 to 50 times more powerful than street-level heroin.
"Especially people who are taking this unknowingly, this completely shuts down their whole system."
Prebish is in county prison as bail was set at $1 millions.