Woman charged in fatal overdose in Union County

A Brunswick County woman was in jail early Tuesday, accused in the death of a Union County man who overdosed on heroin earlier this year.

Kristin Ann Lea, 24, of Southport, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of 25-year-old Justin Blake Tarlton, the Union County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

Tarlton was found dead on June 20 in his home on Sierra Chase Drive in western Union County, and investigations determined that he died of a heroin overdose, the sheriff’s office said. Evidence collected by Union County detectives found that Lea “supplied the lethal heroin that took Mr. Tarlton’s life,” authorities said in a news release.

Lt. Brian Helms said the sheriff’s department always investigates drug overdose deaths, including trying to figure out who supplied the drugs. Whether such investigations result in charges depends on the nature of each case, he said.

Warrants were obtained earlier this month charging Lea with involuntary manslaughter and one count of selling heroin.

Lea was arrested in Wilmington late last week, and was transported to the Union County jail on Monday. She was being held under a $215,000 bond and has a first court appearance Jan. 5, the sheriff’s office said.

N.C. criminal records show that Lea is facing drug-related charges in two other incidents in the past year. In one case, she is charged with conspiring to sell or deliver heroin, and conspiring to deliver meth. That incident happened on June 22, two days after Tarlton’s body was found.

Helms said that case belongs to the Waxhaw Police Department and had no influence on the new charges.

Lea also is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia from an incident in October in New Hanover County. News researcher Maria David contributed.

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Woman charged in fatal overdose in Union County."