EAST ST. LOUIS • An East St. Louis man was convicted on Tuesday in an unusual drug case where a 30-year-old man died of a drug overdose despite a revival attempt with frozen meat.

Jonathan "J.J." Ward, of Effingham, bought heroin from Tavis D. Doyle on May 28, 2009 and died of an overdose a day later inside Doyle's crack house on Walter Street in East St. Louis, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Ward collapsed inside the house and Doyle refused to allow witnesses to call for help. Instead, prosecutors said, Doyle tried to revive Ward by placing frozen meat in Ward's pants. Then, Doyle insisted Ward was still alive and "just needed to sleep it off."

Witnesses eventually transported Ward to Barnes Jewish Hospital about 12 hours after his collapse.

Doyle, 42, was convicted in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis on three counts of distribution of heroin resulting in death, maintaining premises for distribution of controlled substances, and distribution of crack cocaine to a person under the age of 21.

Dozens of witnesses testified that Doyle sold crack cocaine and heroin non-stop between 2008 and 2009. Several East St. Louis prostitutes testified that Doyle encouraged them to bring their prostitution clients to his house to buy drugs.