Chester County woman sentenced up to fourteen years in prison after pleading guilty to selling drugs used in Little Britain Township woman’s fatal overdose
Dec. 24 — A Chester County woman was sentenced to seven to fourteen years in state prison after she pleaded guilty this month to causing a woman’s 2019 fatal overdose by selling her drugs.
Judge Dennis Reinaker sentenced Kenda Rochelle Hess, of West Nottingham Township, after she pleaded guilty Dec. 1 to a single felony count of drug delivery resulting in death.
Hess, 39, provided fentanyl to Little Britain Township resident Tessa Dietz in the early morning hours of Dec. 29, 2019.
Hours later first responders found Dietz unresponsive in her home in the 300 block of Nottingham Road after she ingested the drugs. Attempts to revive Dietz were unsuccessful.
Prior to being sentenced Hess sobbed and apologized to Dietz’s mother and daughter, who were present in the courtroom.
A co-conspirator, Johanna Kim Demanche, had driven Hess to Dietz’s home where they exchanged the drugs for cash shortly before 2 a.m.
As part of her sentence Hess must also pay more than $1,100 in restitution to Dietz’s family for funeral expenses.
Demanche, 31, was sentenced to two and a half to five years in state prison followed by two and a half to five years of probation in 2022 after pleading guilty to charges of drug delivery resulting in death, conspiracy to commit drug delivery resulting in death and two other felony drug offenses.
First Assistant District Attorney Travis Anderson prosecuted the case.
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Scott Enedy filed the charges.
