Jury returns guilty verdict in manslaughter trial in connection with Westfield overdose death

SPRINGFIELD — A Hampden Superior Court jury on Wednesday found Gilka Rolon-Arroyo and Daryn Sampson guilty of involuntary manslaughter for supplying heroin to a Westfield woman who died of an overdose.

The two Westfield residents were also found guilty of possession of heroin with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin. They were acquitted of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl.

Sentencing will be set for a later date. Bail was revoked and the two were taken into custody immediately. There is no mandatory sentence for involuntary manslaughter.

Sampson, 35, and Rolon-Arroyo, 24, were charged in a joint venture case with supplying the heroin, which contained fentanyl, that resulted in Rebekah Swotchak’s death in her Westfield apartment.

Jurors began deliberations at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday and the verdict was delivered at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“When a parent loses a child, when a sibling loses a sibling, when a friend loses a friend, we have an obligation to hold those responsible for that death accountable,” District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said. “When, as in this case, there is a nexus between a victim’s fatal overdose and the supplier of the drugs that led to the death, we will investigate and prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law, up to and including charges of manslaughter.”

Lawyers Jared Olanoff, for Rolon-Arroyo, and Andrew Klyman, for Sampson, told jurors in their closing arguments there was no proof their clients provided the heroin resulting in the fatal overdose. But both lawyers put the blame on the other co-defendant.

Assistant District Attorney Robert Schmidt told jurors, “Everything is not nearly as complicated as defense counsel would have you believe.”

He said Sampson sold heroin to Swotchak and Sampson got that heroin from Rolon-Arroyo. “This was a joint enterprise,” he said.

Schmidt went over texts that he said showed both defendants knew the heroin, labeled Bugatti, was extremely strong.

“These defendants knew what they were selling and they knew how dangerous it was,” he said.

“I would like to thank the members of the jury for their deliberations,” Gulluni said. “I applaud Assistant District Attorney Robert Schmidt for his commitment to the victim and to public safety. I also thank the Westfield Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to my office for their cooperation and conducting an excellent investigation that led to this conviction. “