New Kensington woman who testified in homicide case jailed on heroin charges

A New Kensington woman who was a star witness in a homicide hearing last month was accused Thursday of selling drugs.

Lacey Boots, 28, of Kenneth Avenue is accused of selling heroin to an informant in New Kensington this week.

Boots is charged with two drug felonies, the second set of drug charges for her in two months.

On Thursday, District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. formally charged Boots and ordered her held in the Westmoreland County Prison in lieu of $200,000 bond.

In March, Boots and codefendant Brittany Robinson were accused of having 900 packets of heroin, other drugs and cash.

Pallone set bail for them at $100,000 each that day, but those bonds were reduced at county court.

On April 28, Boots was in front of Pallone to testify in a New Kensington homicide preliminary hearing.

She was one of only two witnesses called by the prosecution against Daniel Thomas Johnson, 27, in the Nov. 10 shooting of 22-year-old Lorenzo Lewis of Plum. Johnson is in the county jail awaiting trial.

Boots' attorney, Chad Ostrosky, declined to comment.

Chuck Biedka is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-226-4711, cbiedka@tribweb.com or on Twitter @ChuckBiedka.