“If you choose to use the heroin that we know is in Somerset County, you risk the chance of death,” that is the message Somerset County District Attorney Lisa Lazzari-Strasiser is putting out to drug users.

To the dealers who sell heroin that leads to an overdose she says, “It is a felony of the first degree.  It is considered homicide.”

According to the district attorney there has been three overdoses in the past two days, one of them being fatal.  She says law enforcement is certain that the heroin used in all three are from the same batch, but they are not releasing the name of the stamp bag.

“If they know that this type of heroin is on the streets, they actually seek it out,” says Lazzari-Strasiser.

“They’re constantly trying to find ways to enhance their high,” adds PSP Sergeant Stephen Adamczyk.

So far a Somerset County man, Jacob Barron, has been arrested in connection with the one death related overdose.  Court documents show that Barron confessed to selling the heroin to the victim for $45.  Officials tell WTAJ they are guessing that the heroin may have another substance in it, causing the overdoses.  They say there is cooperation among multiple law enforcement departments to make additional arrests.

“It’s difficult to prove,” says Lazzari-Strasiser.  “If someone buys it and goes home with it, it’s hard to make that connection, but there’s no question on the next couple I think we’ll be able to make arrests.”

Officials say they’re taking everything they’ve gathered and they are going to send it to a lab in Allegheny County to compare it to other recent overdoses in the region.