A Westmoreland County man has been charged with drug delivery resulting in two deaths, after allegedly providing fentanyl to his girlfriend and smuggling drugs into the county jail. According to CBS Pittsburgh, Davi Roman, 29, faced the grand jury, which led to charges including possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and contraband.
The investigation kicked off after the New Kensington police found Roman's girlfriend, Shaunna Thomas, deceased from an overdose in September 2023, and tensions escalated at Westmoreland County Prison when Roman, arrested on outstanding warrants, was described as belligerent and non-compliant during strip-search procedures. However, initial searches did not uncover any contraband in his cell, while seven inmates later showed signs of opioid use following his release including one who could not be revived and died as a result of an overdose, District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli explained that utilizing the grand jury for complex cases is essential, stating "This is the intended purpose of why we convened a grand jury in this county: to hear complex and complicated cases like this one," as detailed by WPXI.
Surveillance footage at the prison showed Roman engaged in what police interpreted as suspicious activity: fidgeting in his cell and removing something from his groin/rectal area later shaking hands with another inmate in a presumed exchange of contraband, despite his cell search coming up empty at first, several inmates later pointed to Roman as the source of the drugs that entered the block according to detectives.
As officials review surveillance footage and inmate statements, the impact of Roman's alleged actions is clear and serious. He’s been denied bail and faces charges linked to the wider opioid crisis.
