Jury convicts heroin dealer but acquits on homicide charge

OCONTO — An Oconto County jury last week found an Oconto woman guilty of selling heroin but not guilty of homicide in the heroin overdose death of an Oconto man.

Chasity M. Denny and a co-defendant, Brian A. Blasing, both 29, were charged in connection with the Sept. 12, 2018, death of Jeffrey Dean Pecha.

Pecha was found sprawled on the front stairs of a house on Congress Street shortly after 5:30 p.m. Sept. 12. He was pronounced dead at an area hospital a short time later, and an autopsy the next day found he died of an overdose of heroin, methamphetamine and two prescription drugs.

The investigation included getting a search warrant for Pecha’s phone, where police found text messages that indicated Pecha contacted Blasing that day to buy heroin and methamphetamine. A witness saw Pecha get into a car with Blasing and Denny around 5 p.m. that day, the complaint said.

After a day and a half of hearing testimony and attorneys’ arguments, the jury on Dec. 10 found Denny not guilty of first-degree reckless homicide but convicted her of the manufacture and delivery of heroin.

Judge Michael T. Judge scheduled sentencing for Feb. 4 and ordered a presentence investigation.

Blasing has his next scheduled court appearance Jan. 16.