Arnold woman to stand trial for supplying heroin in 2020 overdose death in Lower Burrell

An Arnold woman will stand trial on charges of selling heroin last spring to a Lower Burrell woman who overdosed and died.

Sentrilla A. McDonald, 41, of Victoria Avenue, waived her right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday before District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec in connection with the May 4, 2020, death of Candace Steck, 33.

The magistrate ordered McDonald to stand trial in Westmoreland County court on felony charges of drug delivery resulting in death and six counts related to possession with the intent to deliver drugs. McDonald was released from jail after posting a bond.

A preliminary hearing on the same set of charges filed against McDonald’s alleged accomplice, Otis L. Henley, 45, of Pittsburgh’s Hill District, is scheduled for Sept. 28 before Peck Yakopec. Henley has been in the Westmoreland County Prison since his arrest in May 2020 after failing to post $50,000 bond.

McDonald and Henley, who both are convicted felons, also face an additional charge of illegal possession of a firearm.

Lower Burrell police arrested Henley and McDonald by setting up a sting operation with an informant, who used Steck’s cellphone to arrange to buy heroin and crack cocaine from Henley, according to a criminal complaint.

The informant met with the pair in Lower Burrell and bought 20 packets of suspected heroin, which included 10 packets stamped with “SRT8” and 10 packets stamped with “red tulip.”

Detectives monitoring the controlled drug buy stopped the vehicle driven by McDonald and arrested the pair.

Police say Henley had 270 packets of suspected heroin, a gram of suspected crack cocaine and $460 in cash in his pants pockets. In addition to drug charges, Henley was charged with attempting to escape when they say he ran from police and was recaptured.

Another $719 in cash was found in the truck. In addition, police found 21 packets of suspected heroin in McDonald’s purse along with more than an ounce of marijuana, according to the complaint.

The markings on the packets of drugs bought by the informant and confiscated during the arrest of Henley and McDonald matched the markings on the 95 packets of heroin found in Steck’s bedroom following her death, investigators said.

Police also said May 4, 2020, surveillance video from the area surrounding Steck’s home showed Henley and McDonald arriving in a red pickup truck and then depart after Henley visited with Steck for about 20 minutes, according to investigators.

Police say the pair was riding in the same truck when they were arrested following the drug buy.

Authorities say McDonald agreed to speak with detectives following her arrest and told them that Henley stored additional narcotics at her father’s house on Victoria Avenue in Arnold.

After obtaining permission from the homeowner, police searched the building and found evidence of a drug-processing operation, including boxes of new packets (stamp bags) and other packaging material. Police confiscated 22 packets of suspected heroin/fentanyl, a bag filled with more than 22 grams of suspected heroin and 6.63 grams of suspected cocaine.

Also discovered in the home was a .9 mm Taurus pistol and ammunition. Neither McDonald or Henley can legally possess a gun because of their previous felony convictions.

McDonald is represented by a private attorney who was not available for comment on Tuesday. The Westmoreland County public defender representing Henley also was not available for comment.