Canonsburg Man Pleads Guilty To Drug Charges

A Canonsburg man received probation for a drug delivery resulting in death charge. John Backner, 58 pleaded guilty for selling a fatal dose of fentanyl to Sean Caldwell, 41 of Hickory, in October of 2023. The negotiated plea is for five years probation with one year of electronic home monitoring. The sentence also included 180 days of time served in the Washington County Jail before Backner was released on $500,000 bond. The judge reluctantly accepted the plea after prosecutors explained that Backner admitted responsibility very early on at his preliminary hearing. They also indicated that Backner has been particularly instrumental in the investigations of other unrelated cases. Backner could have been sentenced to more than six years in prison. Charges of possession with intent to deliver and criminal use of a communications facility were dropped.