ALBANY, N.Y. -- A man who admitted to selling heroin that caused a woman’s fatal overdose was sentenced in federal court Thursday.
Matthew Charo will spend 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years post-release supervision. He admitted to selling heroin to Katie Scheidt, who died after using the drug. Katie was 30 years old and was described as a loving person who was beautiful inside and out.
"There’s some justice being served, but it’s hard because he is serving 10 years and my daughter is gone," said Eve Cascone, Katie's mother.
"I think that if good Katie hadn’t encountered evil on October 2, 2014, that maybe she would have been successful in her struggles to become un-addicted," said Fred Scheidt, Katie's father.
Charo was charged with Katie's death on a federal level, because New York State law doesn’t allow prosecutors to charge heroin dealers for overdose deaths. Patty Farrell is a mother who lost her daughter, Laree, to a heroin overdose. She is fighting for the passage of "Laree's Law." It would allow law enforcement in New York to charge dealers with homicide if they sell to someone who dies of an overdose.
"I’m so happy he got 10 years, because that’s 10 years that he cannot hurt another person," said Farrell.
This is one of the first local cases in which a heroin dealer was charged for a user’s fatal overdose. Both Scheidt’s parents and Farrell hope 2018 is the year the state legislature passes "Laree’s Law." They hope this case deters dealers from selling the drug.