Man Charged In Pottstown Woman's Overdose Death

A Philadelphia man has been charged with criminal homicide after the drugs he gave to a woman in Pottstown led to her overdose, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.

Harold Robert Burton, 36, of West Ellet Street in Philadelphia, allegedly provided Renee Winslow, of High Street in Pottstown, with drugs on January 29, the DA said.

Video surveillance and text messages indicated that Burton delivered the drugs to Winslow that morning, according to the DA.

Winslow's boyfriend found her dead of an overdose later that day and immediately called police, officials said.

It was initially suspected that Burton had brought Winslow heroin, based on text messages, the DA said. However, an autopsy revealed that Winslow died of a fentanyl overdose.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that the DA says is 50 times more deadly than street-level heroin, according to officials.

"Fentanyl is killing people," DA Kevin Steele said Wednesday. "Addicts do not know what they are injecting is the much more powerful fentanyl since it looks practically identical to heroin. But when it hits their system, the fentanyl shuts down their body, and they die."

Burton is charged with drug delivery resulting in death, which could result in up to 40 years in prison, officials noted. It's similar to a third-degree murder charge.

"This is poison," Steele said. "(Her) death was not attributable to violent crime. This death is attributable to someone poisoning her."

Steele also had a message for drug dealers.

"Drug dealers beware - you give a drug to someone and they die, you are on the hook for drug delivery resulting in death."

Burton's bail has been set at $1 million, and he was taken to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

A hearing is set for July 6.

Image courtesy Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.