SMETHPORT — Court officials hope to hold a trial in October for a man accused of selling a fatal dose of a butyrfentanyl/heroin to a Bradford man and hiding from police.
Larry W. Shroyer, 48, appeared for a brief status conference Thursday in McKean County Court before President Judge John Pavlock.
Shroyer has been incarcerated for nearly two years on charges in two cases — since Nov. 20, 2017 — in lieu of $200,000. It’s been nearly four years since the death of 25-year-old George Duke Jr., the victim in the case.
District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer expressed concern Thursday that the case could be delayed further if a pretrial motion that defense John Thomas plans to file is not made soon.
After the conference, she explained to The Era that she wants to schedule the trial for sometime in the week of Oct. 28. It has not been scheduled yet.
During the conference, Thomas told Pavlock, “I don’t believe that the motion in limine (to limit certain evidence) is going to be complex.”
Thomas explained the motion is related to photographs or video in the case. He said he planned to file it Thursday or today.
Pavlock ordered that any pretrial motions be filed within three days of Thursday. Failing to file in that time frame may result in the motion being dismissed as untimely, the judge explained.
Shroyer is accused of selling a mix of butyrfentanyl and heroin to Duke, who was found dead in his bedroom Nov. 13, 2015, according to court records. Shroyer allegedly purchased the fatal dose from Rachel L. Reid, who was selling drugs as an employee of James A. Luper Jr.
According to court records, Shroyer told a Bradford City Police officer over the phone that he would turn himself in on the drug-related charges; however, he never showed up at the police station. Police arrested him more than a week later at a Looker Mountain Trail residence.
He is charged in one case with flight to avoid apprehension, a third-degree felony. In the second, he’s charged with aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, both first-degree felonies; delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance and distribution of a designer drug and conspiracy to distribute a designer drug, all felonies; involuntary manslaughter and conspiracy to commit involuntary manslaughter, first-degree misdemeanors; recklessly endangering a controlled substance, a second-degree misdemeanor; and possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor.
The two co-defendants in the case each pleaded guilty and have already been sentenced. Luper is serving 3¼ to 6½ years in prison, while Reid is serving one to two years in prison.
