An Arnold man is now facing one of Pennsylvania's toughest drug charges after prosecutors say his supply led to the 2025 overdose death of a New Kensington man.
Delino Franklin has been charged with drug delivery resulting in death along with other narcotics offenses, according to prosecutors. The charges arrive months after his December 2025 arrest, when police served a warrant at a Kimball Avenue residence and reported finding suspected fentanyl pills and other evidence of drug distribution.
As reported by WCCS, prosecutors allege Franklin supplied the drugs that caused the man's death last year and say the new counts have been filed in Westmoreland County court.
Search warrant turned up suspected distribution evidence
According to CrimeWatch, which publishes releases from the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office, detectives executed a warrant at Franklin's Kimball Avenue residence on Dec. 18, 2025. Inside, they reported finding packaged capsules, a digital scale, suspected fentanyl pills, marijuana, and a handgun registered to someone else. Franklin was taken into custody on narcotics and weapons charges and was denied bail at that time, according to the same release.
What the charge means
Under Pennsylvania law, drug delivery resulting in death can be filed when a person "intentionally administers, dispenses, delivers, gives, prescribes, sells or distributes any controlled substance" and another person dies as a result. The offense is treated as a felony of the first degree. The statutory language is available from the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
Where this fits in statewide prosecutions
A June 5, 2026, release from the state's Unified Judicial System shows filings for drug delivery resulting in death fell 22% statewide from 2024 to 2025. The same report lists Westmoreland County with four such filings in 2025 and 30 total across 2021 through 2025. That PA Courts release places Franklin's case within a broader, shifting picture of how prosecutors are using the statute across Pennsylvania.
Officials note in their announcements that charges are accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Prosecutors have not released additional details about the victim in the initial public reports, and upcoming court filings are expected to outline the next steps in the case.
