No Contest Plea In City Drug Death

A McKees Rocks man, formerly from Monessen pleaded no contest in a 2020 drug death in the City of Washington. Calvin Ortiz, 36 took a no contest plea to conspiracy drug delivery resulting in death and criminal use of a communications device. A possession with intent to deliver was dropped. Ortiz was sentenced to 4-10 years in state prison. According to police, Brad Remorowski was found dead in his apartment in September of 2020. Initial investigations pointed to Duane Berry, 33 of Carnegie as the supplier of fentanyl pills disguised as painkillers causing Remorowski’s death. Berry claimed to be an intermediary in the transaction and pointed to Ortiz as the supplier. In court proceedings, the judge remarked that the plea offer was generous. Prosecutors indicated that the victim’s mother is terminally ill and wished for closure before she passes away. Had Ortiz gone to trial and been convicted on all charges against him, he could have been sentenced to 10-20 years in prison. According to a court docket, Ortiz’s co-conspirator Duane Berry is scheduled for plea court on November 17.