Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 57-year-old Jon Herrle of the Town of Tonawanda has been sentenced by Erie County Court Judge Sheila A. DiTullio to an indeterminate sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison. 

In November 2017, the defendant pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in the Second Degree, the highest charge in the indictment.

On September 25, 2016, the defendant gave an extremely intoxicated female companion crushed opiate pills, telling the woman it was cocaine. The woman snorted the powder, overdosed and died.

This is the first opiate-related homicide conviction under DA Flynn.

“This conviction is not only justice for the young woman who lost her life, but sends a message to drug dealers or anyone who provides opiates that cause a fatal overdose in Erie County that we will prosecute them for a homicide-related offense,” said DA Flynn.

DA Flynn commends Town of Tonawanda Detectives Chuck Card, Kevin Sweeney and Tim Connolly for their outstanding investigative work.

Nicholas T. Texido, Chief of the DA’s Training and Special Projects Bureau, and Michael D. Smith of the DA’s Homicide Bureau prosecuted the case.