hoover maldonado

Tiffany Hoover, 29, of Lebanon, and Phillip Maldonado, 42, of Lancaster, are charged with drug delivery resulting in death in connection with 53-year-old Julio Rivera's death last May.

(Lebanon County Prison)

A man sentenced for selling heroin that resulted in a fatal overdose told a Lebanon County judge he was dealing to raise money to hire a lawyer for another drug charge.

The statement by Phillip Maldonado, 44, prompted a rebuke from Judge John Tylwalk Wednesday.

"I've heard a lot of excuses, but today's was a new one," Tylwalk said. "You sold drugs to raise money to hire an attorney to represent you in another pending drug case."

Maldonado is accused of selling heroin to Julio Rivera, 53, of Lebanon, who died in the Travel Inn May 16, 2014. Charges were filed against Maldonado and Tiffany Hoover, 29, of Lebanon, who was using drugs with Rivera, in February 2015.

Maldonado was found guilty by a jury Aug. 1 on charges of drug delivery resulting in death, conspiracy and selling drugs.

Tylwalk sentenced him Wednesday to 9-18 years in state prison on the drug delivery resulting in death charge; 7-15 years on a conspiracy charge; and 2-10 years on the drug charge. He was also fined $1,400. The sentence will be concurrent, and follow a sentence on other drug charges.

Since 1990, Tylwalk said Maldonado was charged with 12 counts, seven of them for drugs, and was in state prison six times. He was out on state bail when he was charged with selling drugs that killed Rivera, said the judge.

"This case is being tragically played out all over Pennsylvania," Tylwalk said, citing the fact that 20 people in Lebanon County died of overdoses last year, with 55 percent resulting from heroin.

"You contributed to it by your actions in this case," Tywalk told Maldonado.

Last year 3,383 people died in Pennsylvania of drug overdoses - an increase of 23 percent, he said. And in 2014, he said Pennsylvania was eighth in the U.S. in overdose deaths.

Hoover is scheduled for trial Oct. 31 on charges of drug delivery resulting in death, conspiracy, theft and a drug charge in connection with Rivera's death.

While Rivera nodded off and later overdosed, police said Hoover left and traded Rivera's cell phone to Maldonado for more heroin.

At sentencing, Maldonado also asked for a new attorney, and said he will be filing an appeal.