Face tattoo assists Westmoreland County investigators in prosecution of 2017 fatal heroin cases

A dollar sign tattooed on a Turtle Creek man's forehead may prove key in determining who supplied the doses of fentanyl-laced heroin that killed two people last year in Greensburg and Murrysville.

Export District Judge Charles Conway ruled prosecutors presented enough evidence during a preliminary hearing for Demetrius Christmas, 29, to stand trial for supplying heroin that killed Paul Lucas, 21, on April 13, 2017, in Murrysville, and Jeffrey Gettemy, 30, on May 31, 2017, in Greensburg.

Key testimony came from Jeremy S. Mason, 33, of Manor, another alleged drug supplier awaiting trial on identical charges in the deaths.

Mason, who was arrested September, told Conway he does not have a plea deal in place for his testimony against Christmas. Both men could receive up to 40 years in prison on each count of drug delivery resulting in death, if convicted.

Mason admitted under questioning from assistant District Attorney Anthony Iannamorelli Jr. that he bought drugs from Christmas for both Lucas and Gettemy.

Murrysville Detective Sgt. William Kusinsky testified police initially linked Mason to the Lucas overdose through text messages on the victim's cellphone.

Mason testified that he did not know Christmas' actual name, but texted him as “JC” when he needed to buy heroin and that the pair met in Turtle Creek.

Iannamorelli asked how he identified Christmas for investigators in a photograph lineup if he didn't know his name. Mason said it was with the help of a distinctive tattoo.

“He has a money symbol tattoo on his face,” Mason said.

The tattoo is between his eyebrows.

Mason testified he often bought drugs for his heroin-using acquaintances. Instead of money, they often gave him drugs for completing the deals.

Mason testified Christmas gave him 11 stamp bags marked “COBRA” in exchange for $70 he received from Lucas. Mason gave six stamp bags to Lucas, police said.

In the second case, Mason testified he paid Christmas $60 for eight fentanyl-laced heroin stamp bags marked “Sorry 4 Da Wait,” which he gave to Gettemy, according to court documents. Police found an empty bag with that stamp near Gettemy's body and a syringe in his hand, Greensburg Detective Sgt. John Swank testified.

Under cross-examination by Christmas' attorney, Lee Rothman of Pittsburgh, Mason admitted that Christmas likely did not realize Mason was buying heroin for other people. Rothman also attacked Mason's testimony that he repeatedly warned Lucas not to inject the heroin “because it was so powerful.”

“So you say Mr. Lucas was your friend, but you provided him the instrumentation ... the heroin and the syringe to inject himself ... even though you knew, and warned him it might kill him?,” Rothman asked.

“I was a heroin addict,” Mason replied.

Rothman also asked Conway to dismiss the drug delivery charges, saying prosecutors did not prove Christmas had a direct link to either man's death.

Iannamorelli countered that testimony showed “Christmas was the only person who profited from the sale of heroin in both these men's deaths.”

Mason is being held in a neighboring county prison on $1 million bond. Christmas is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $75,000 bond on each drug delivery resulting in death count.

Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib.