(YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio)— Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene announced today that an Ohio man has been arrested on charges connected to the death of a man who overdosed on fentanyl in April.
A Mahoning County grand jury indicted Kyle Christy, 36, of Austintown Township, on the following felony charges:
- One count of involuntary manslaughter, a felony of the first degree
- One count of corrupting another with drugs, a felony of the second degree
- One count of trafficking in cocaine, a felony of the fifth degree
Christy is accused in connection with the death of Randie Steehler, 55, of Youngstown, who overdosed on fentanyl while at a bar on Mahoning Avenue in Youngstown on April 15, 2017.
The case was investigated by the Mahoning County Heroin Overdose Task Force, which is part of the Ohio Attorney General's Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission. The case is being prosecuted by the office of Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul Gains.
The Mahoning County Heroin Overdose Task Force is led by the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office and was formed specifically to hold accountable those who provide drugs that cause an overdose or overdose death.
"Every overdose is a tragedy, and the people who put deadly drugs in the hands of those suffering from addiction should be held responsible for doing so," said Attorney General DeWine. "Those who choose to traffic drugs in Mahoning County should be on notice that this task force will aggressively pursue you should the drugs you provide cause an overdose death."
"The collaboration of law enforcement will continue to work diligently in every overdose death to track down the individual responsible for supplying the narcotics causing the death," said Sheriff Greene. "I consider this in every way manslaughter."
In addition to the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office, the Mahoning County Heroin Overdose Task Force also includes representatives from the Austintown Township Police Department, Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office, Mercy Health Police Department, New Middletown Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The U.S. Marshals Service arrested Christy at his home last night. He is currently in custody at the Mahoning County Jail.
Established in 1986, the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission assists local law enforcement agencies in combating organized crime and corrupt activities through the creation of multi-jurisdictional task forces. The commission is composed of members of the law enforcement community and is chaired by the Ohio Attorney General.
Kyle Christy, Mahoning County Jail Booking Photo
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Media Contacts:
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Jill Del Greco: 614-466-3840