A woman with two pending drug sale cases in Butler County was arraigned Monday on new charges related to the death of a Butler VA patient in March.

Nora Barker, 60, of Butler, was arraigned before District Judge Kevin O’Donnell on one count of drug delivery resulting in death related to the death of Jeremy Venturini.

O’Donnell issued Barker a bond of $100,000; however, she has remained in Butler County Prison on bonds related to two other pending criminal cases, both involving felony drug sale charges. Barker now has a cumulative bond of $300,000 across all three cases.

Butler Township Police said Venturini was found dead March 9 in the bathroom of his Butler VA Hospital room. Officers said they recovered full and empty bags of fentanyl near his body, as well as his cellphone.

Police later received a warrant to search the phone and found text conversations between Venturini and Barker.

According to transcripts supplied in court documents, Venturini met with Barker on March 7 to buy drugs. Venturini expressed hesitation about the meeting place in their messages.

“Cops everywhere. Everywhere. Disregard. No go,” he said. “Nope. There is literally a cop out front. No way.”

Despite Venturini’s reluctance, the texts end with an agreement on a time and location to meet, and Venturini later texted his ex-wife and admitted to taking drugs to hurt himself.

“You can have all my stuff,” he said. “I’m dead.”

Despite the messages, Venturini met with Barker again March 8, according to the transcribed messages. In the conversation, Venturini said he was buying from someone else, and Barker voiced frustration about driving from the Eau Claire area to Butler.

“I hope you got fake (stuff),” she said. “Mine’s incredible.”

In the text chain, Venturini appears to change his mind and met with Barker anyway.

Later in May, police interviewed a man who said he drove Barker to her deals. Police said his vehicle matched the vehicle seen to pick up and drop off Venturini on March 8.

“(The driver) states that Barker contacted him for rides to the VA and Walmart in Butler (Township) on March 7 and March 8,” police said. “She met with an ‘older’ white man that was a patient at and lived at the VA hospital.”

One of Venturini’s neighbors told police she had heard the victim “snoring” starting around 2 a.m. March 9. She told police it sounded to be coming from the bathroom area, and the sound stopped around 4 a.m.

An autopsy was performed later that day, and in April, the results confirmed Venturini’s death was caused specifically by fentanyl in his system, which was found alongside other prescribed medications.

According to his obituary, Venturini served multiple years in the U.S. Air Force, specializing in computer maintenance. He had lived most of his life in Gilpin Township, Armstrong County, before moving to Butler Township.

Barker is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing June 30 before O’Donnell.