Two Sentenced for Distributing Heroin that Led to Overdose

Harrisonburg, VIRGINIA – A pair of Winchester, Virginia residents, who pled guilty to distributing heroin earlier this year, were sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Harrisonburg.

Dennis Keith Getz, 38, and Brandi Nichole Marple, 29, both of Winchester, previously pled guilty to one count of distributing heroin in connection with a  fatal heroin overdose. Today in District Court, Getz was sentenced to 222 months of federal incarceration. In a separate hearing, Marple was sentenced to 114 months of federal incarceration.

“Heroin overdose deaths continue to plague areas of the Western District and my office will continue to work alongside our state and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who sell this deadly substance,” Acting United States Attorney Anthony P. Giorno said today. “I want to emphasize the importance of continuing to work with our community partners to explore treatment and prevention options as part of the overall strategy to address the heroin abuse problem.”

Marple and Getz have admitted that on March 31, 2014 they traveled to Baltimore, Maryland and purchased heroin. They returned to Winchester and sold a portion of that heroin to A.B.L., who was found deceased the next morning. During the course of their investigation, members of the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration located the victim’s cell phone which showed a text message conversation between the victim and Marple discussing the purchase of $100 of heroin. Heroin packaging that was found with the victim matched a description from Marple and the packaging of heroin recovered from Getz’s residence the next day.

When contacted by law enforcement, both Getz and Marple admitted to purchasing the heroin in Baltimore and later selling it to A.B.L.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Task Force includes law enforcement from the counties of Frederick, Clarke, Shenandoah, Warren and Page as well as the cities and towns of Winchester, Front Royal and Strasburg. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth G. Wright prosecuted the case for the United States.