From staff reports
Clarion County District Attorney Drew Welsh believes the conviction and sentencing of Spencer Rudolph and Aaron Johnson have placed drug dealers “on notice.”
“Clarion County has law enforcement, a judge and District Attorney’s Office that are serious about combating deadly drug-trafficking,” Welsh said in a news release. “That was the message that was clearly sent at the sentencing of Aaron Johnson and Spencer Rudolph on August. 26th.”
Judge Sara Seidle-Patton sentenced Johnson, 32, of Pittsburgh, to over 70 years in state prison and Rudolph, 24, of Shippenville, to over 30 years for the drug delivery that resulted in the death in November 2018 of Clarion resident William Stout, 36, who died from fentanyl toxicity.
The sentences followed a four-day jury trial prosecuted by Welsh earlier this month.
Evidence at trial showed Johnson supplied heroin and fentanyl throughout western Pennsylvania from a residence in Monroeville using a drug-trafficking organization. Some of that fentanyl was distributed into Clarion County and resulted Stout’s death.
“Johnson has a lengthy history of drug offenses with convictions from both Pennsylvania and New Jersey,” Welsh said. “He also has a federal conviction for his involvement in trafficking over one kilogram of heroin. Surprisingly, with more than a decade of drug conviction, Johnson has never served time in state prison.
“Drug dealers need to know that Clarion County doesn’t view drug trafficking as lightly as other jurisdictions.”
The jury found Rudolph directly gave the lethal drugs to Stout.
“Shockingly, after Mr. Stout’s death, Rudolph continued to sell drugs and even worked to elevate his position in the drug ring,” Welsh said.
At sentencing, Welsh pointed out, Stout’s fiancee, Tanya Brooks, spoke directly to Rudolph. She told him that she began with empathy for him, knowing the challenges of drug addiction. However, she expressed how dismayed she was with Rudolph’s continued drug-dealing after Stout’s death.
Welsh also pointed out that Rudolph previously served time in state prison for an Elk County burglary of an elderly couple’s home in search of prescription drugs. Three months after his release, he sold fentanyl to Stout.
As jury members were leaving the courtroom after their guilty verdict, Rudolph was heard being disrespectful via the use of foul language.
When Rudolph was asked by Seidle-Patton before his sentencing this week whether he had anything to say, Rudolph replied with more foul language.
“Cases of this complex nature require a great deal of time and resources,” he said. “It would have been easy to stop our investigation at the Clarion County line and made one arrest of one drug dealer.
“The Clarion County District Attorney’s Office and Clarion law enforcement will not take the easy way out. Working together, we were able to stop a narcotics ring that was distributing deadly drugs throughout western Pennsylvania, saving an unknown number of lives.”
Welsh said he was “touched” by the conversations he had with those who knew Stout.
“In acknowledging his struggles and shortcomings, all they were looking for was justice,” Welsh said. “William Stout paid a steep price for his choices.
“Those who distributed the drugs that killed him should not avoid consequences … I am grateful that his family and loved ones have seen justice served.”