Man Charged in Drug-Related Death of Clarion Man Rejects Plea Deal, Will Head to Trial

Chris Rossetti

Chris Rossetti

Published July 12, 2019 4:35 am
Image

ArringtonCLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Dameon Tyrell Arrington has decided to take his chances with a jury after rejecting a plea deal in the drug-related death of Tanner Eisenman of Clarion.

District Attorney Mark Aaron’s office was offering Arrington, who is from Pittsburgh a deal that would have reduced a multitude of charges to one charge, in the death of Eisenman in mid-August 2018.

Arrington, however, rejected that deal at his plea hearing in front of Clarion County President Judge James Arner on Wednesday, July 10, and instead elected to make his case in front of a jury. Jury selection is slated to begin Monday, July 22, at the Clarion County Courthouse.

Arrington will be facing 11 felony charges including (1) drug delivery resulting in death, (2) conspiracy — drug delivery resulting in death, (3-5) three counts of manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, (6) conspiracy manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, (7-9) three counts of Int. possession of a controlled substance by person not registered, and (10-11) two counts of criminal use of communication facility.

In addition, Arrington faces misdemeanor charges on five counts (1) involuntary manslaughter, (2) conspiracy — involuntary manslaughter, and (3-5) three counts of use/possession of drug paraphernalia.

DETAILS OF THE CASE

On August 14, 2018, Arrington allegedly delivered stamp bags containing heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance; acetyl fentanyl, a Schedule I controlled substance; and fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance to Tanner Eisenman, of Clarion, in exchange for U.S. currency. Eisenman was found deceased at his Clarion Borough residence on August 15.

According to a criminal complaint, around 8:35 p.m. on August 15, the Clarion Borough Police Department was dispatched to a residence on Merle Road in Clarion for a male patient in cardiac arrest.

Clarion Borough Police arrived on the scene and located 28-year-old Tanner Eisenman deceased on the living room floor. Officers located a syringe/needle laying on the floor beside Eisenman’s leg. Clarion County Coroner Randall Stom was contacted, and Eisenman was pronounced deceased at the residence.

The Clarion Borough Police seized the needle and Eisenman’s cellular phone as evidence.

Stom scheduled an autopsy for August 17 with Dr. Vey in Erie, Pa. During the autopsy, which was attended by Clarion Borough Police Detective Kemmer, two bundles of suspected heroin were inside Eisenman’s pants pocket. The stamp bags were marked “fat bitch,” according to the complaint.

On August 16, Clarion Borough Police Chief William H. Peck IV met with Officers Wright and Kemmer in the Clarion County District Attorney’s Office. Officer Wright had Eisenman’s phone in his possession, and the contents of the phone were reviewed. In Eisenman’s text logs, “he was texting back and forth with a known individual. (It was) obvious that Eisenman and the known individual were arranging to purchase controlled substances,” according to the complaint.

By viewing the text logs and interviewing the known individuals involved, it was learned that heroin was purchased from a person known as “Hatch.”

One of the known individuals reported that he has purchased heroin from Hatch for the past two to three years. He said that on Monday, August 13, Hatch made contact with him inquiring if he was “looking.” He said that Hatch reached out to him, and then he (the known individual) reached out to Eisenman. On Tuesday, August 14, both Eisenman and the known individual traveled to Pittsburgh for the purpose of purchasing heroin from Hatch. He said that he drove his mother’s car, and Eisenman was in the front passenger seat. Eisenman had approximately $200.00, and he believed that Eisenman purchased two to three buns from Hatch. He said that Eisenman provided him with five bags of the heroin, and he did them already, and there wasn’t any left.

The known individual advised the marking on the bags were “fat bitch” and indicated there might be an empty stamp bag in his room. He took the officers up to his bedroom, and Chief Peck seized the following items:

– Two needles in his garbage can;
– Two empty stamp baggies, one marked “fat bitch” and one that appears to have no markings located in the garbage can;
– Aluminum foil marijuana pipe on the nightstand; and
– A baggie of unused needles, five total, on the nightstand.

The known individual turned over his cell phone and signed a consent to search form for the contents of the phone and said that he believed he had deleted the contents of the phone relating to Hatch.

Although Chief Peck did not find any text messages between the known individual and Hatch, he did observe a phone number for Hatch.

The known individual described Hatch as a black male in his early to mid-20s, 150 to 160 lbs. with black short hair, and sometimes with light facial hair. He said that he usually meets Hatch in Pittsburgh in the area of Columbo Street and sometimes in an alley near Columbo Street.

On August 17, Chief Peck made contact with Detective Fallert of the Homicide Unit, of the City of Pittsburgh Police Department. Detective Fallert agreed to assist in the investigation and attempt to make controlled drug purchases from the suspect (Hatch).

The complaint states the following controlled purchases were made:

– On August 17, Dameon Arrington allegedly delivered 18 stamp bags containing heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, and fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, in exchange for $160.00 in U.S. currency to a CNET cooperating source.

– On August 22, Dameon Arrington allegedly delivered 51 stamp bags containing heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, and fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, in exchange to $350.00 in U.S. currency to a CNET cooperating source.

On August 24, authorities obtained a search warrant for a residence on Columbo Street in the City of Pittsburgh. Upon approaching the residence, Chief Peck observed two men and a woman being detained on the front porch of the residence. One of the men standing on the front porch was Dameon Arrington.

A search was conducted of the residence and approximately five bricks of suspected heroin and two firearms were seized. Arrington and another male were taken into custody on pending charges related to the search of the residence.

On August 29, Kemmer received the lab result on the items from the Merle Road, Clarion residence that were sent to the Erie crime lab. The report indicates that the liquid from the syringe contained fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. The report also states that the white wax paper bags stamped “Fat Bitch” containing white powder had a total net weight of less than one gram. The white powder contained heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance; acetyl fentanyl, a Schedule I controlled substance; and fentanyl a Schedule II controlled substance.

On September 5, Ted Williams, Forensic Scientist Supervisor submitted a lab report from the controlled buy:

– The 18 stamp baggies contained heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, and fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.

– The 51 stamp baggies contained heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, and fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.

On October 18, Clarion County Coroner Randall Stom provided the autopsy report of Tanner Eisenman and the MNS (National Medical Services) lab reports. The anatomic diagnoses listed on the report states “Combine Drug Toxicity involving fentanyl compounds and the opinion is Tanner Eisenman, 26 years old white male, died as a result of combined drug toxicity involving fentanyl compounds,” according to the criminal complaint.

Community Partner