A Butler judge sentenced a 34-year-old Homestead man to state prison Thursday for selling fentanyl-laced heroin in 2015 to a 33-year-old man who died of an overdose.

William Clarence Thomas III pleaded guilty Oct. 29 to felony possession of heroin with intent to deliver and a misdemeanor charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Thomas originally faced a number of other charges that included felony drug delivery resulting in death, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

Under a plea deal reached between prosecutors with the attorney general's office and Thomas' lawyer, Patrick Thomassey, Common Pleas Judge William Shaffer sentenced Thomas to 57 to 113 months in prison followed by two years of probation. Thomas received 35 days of credit for time already served.

The victim's family was present during Thursday's hearing.

“I am sorry for their loss,” Thomas said to the family of Joshua Lee Stitt. “I've not used my common sense in the best way, but I've labored from sunrise to sunset to make myself a better person.”

Thomassey asked Shaffer for a lenient sentence and called two witness to testify about Thomas and the events that led up to him selling fentanyl-laced heroin to Stitt on Sept. 16, 2015.

Family member Aurelia Thompson said Thomas suffered a brain injury in 2005 after he was “beaten, robbed and left for dead.”The injury, she said, led him to suffer from blackouts and other symptoms. She said that Thomas has no memory of his life between the ages of 11 and 20.“We had to teach him to read,” she said. “He didn't know what money was.”She apologized to the victim's family and asked Shaffer, “If you could find it in your heart to help us, I'd greatly appreciate it.”David Beard, a brother- in-law, also made a statement“(Thomas) is an all-out good guy,” Beard said. “He deserves a second chance. If you could find a way in your heart to settle this.”In court records, investigators allege Stitt, a bricklayer by trade, used his 5-year-old son's iPad to arrange drug deals with Thomas' co-defendent Julia L. Zaludek on a nearly daily basis, including one the day before he died.State police arrested Zaludek, of Fenelton, in April 2016, accusing her of selling the lethal drugs — packaged in glassine bags marked “Hit and Run” — to Stitt.A month after she was arrested, in an interview with police she identified Thomas as her “source” in obtaining heroin, documents said.

She recounted that on the day before Stitt's death, the two drove to Pittsburgh's Homestead section, where she had previously arranged to meet with Thomas to buy 75 stamp bags of heroin for $400.Accompanying Zaludek and Stitt on the alleged drug buy were each of their young children as well as Zaludek's boyfriend.Following the purported drug deal, the three adults split up the bags.Stitt injected the tainted drugs at his home on Trimbur Road and died in an ambulance on his way to Butler Memorial Hospital.

Toxicology reports from an autopsy showed the heroin, unbeknownst to Stitt, was mixed with the synthetic painkiller fentanyl, authorities said, which is known to heighten the dangers and potency of street drugs.Senior Deputy Attorney General Patrick Schulte, prosecuting the case, read a victim-impact statement, asking Shaffer to impose the maximum penalty under sentencing guidelines.“A 5-year-old boy witnessed his father's death,” Schulte read from the statement.Thomassey argued against a harsh prison penalty, and Thomas' family asked Shaffer to give Thomas a second chance.“I used to think it's dumb, stupid people that do drugs. It's not,” Thomassey said. “What are we going to do? Put them all in jail? Everybody in this case was breaking the law.”Schulte responded, “I agree that this is a sad case. But the saddest is this little boy won't know his father. He won't be there for his graduation, for Boy Scouts, for marriage. My hope is he can hold on to the memory of his father as long as he can.”Schulte cited Thomas' long criminal record and asked Shaffer to “fashion a sentence so that (Thomas) doesn't do this again.”“The sentence must also deter others from selling poison,” he said. “It may make people think twice in engaging in behavior that is killing so many young people.”Shaffer responded by telling Thomas he reviewed the case thoroughly. “You've had 22 adult arrests, some for the same crime that brings you here today,” Shaffer said before sentencing Thomas.