HOLLIDAYSBURG — A Tyrone man involved in a heroin-selling chain leading to the fatal overdose death of 31-year-old Joshua Blowers of Tyrone has been sentenced to five to 15 years’ incarceration.

Robert James Noel, 31, rendered guilty pleas Monday in Blair County Court to 10 criminal offenses including drug delivery resulting in death, possession with intent to deliver, criminal use of a communications facility, dissemination of child pornography and dissemination of sexually explicit materials with a minor.

In exchange for the pleas, Judge Timothy M. Sullivan imposed the negotiated incarceration time and fines. He also directed Noel to share in the restitution of about $9,000 in funeral expenses.

Noel’s incarceration sentence period is the same as handed down to Angela Michelle Miles of Tyrone, another link in the drug-selling chain leading to the Blowers’ fatal overdose on fentanyl-laced heroin. In February, Miles rendered guilty pleas to drug delivery resulting in death and related charges and apologized for her role.

Investigators, when filing criminal charges, accused Miles of selling 500 to 750 heroin packets a week, including ones to Noel, who in turn sold to Kyler Johnson and who in turn sold to Blowers.

On May 31, 2017, Blowers was found dead in the bathroom of an apartment on the 1300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue where Johnson lived.

Noel, who cooperated with investigators trying to find the source of Blowers’ heroin, would have received less incarceration if not for his pornography-related offenses, First Assistant District Attorney Pete Weeks said Monday.

When reviewing cellphone contents for evidence in the death investigation, police found that Noel was exchanging text messages and nude pictures in April and May of 2017 with girls identifying themselves as 14 and 15 years old.

Investigators also found that Noel agreed to a trade of photographs in which he received pictures showing young girls exposing themselves. Investigators said one of the girls pictured appeared to be between 10 and 13 years old.

“If Noel didn’t have any pornography charges, his sentence would have been totally different,” Weeks said.

Because Noel rendered guilty pleas to his pornography charges, Noel will be classified as a Tier II sex offender, requiring him to regularly register his address and other information with state police.

On Monday, Noel almost backed away from rendering guilty pleas. Before doing so, Noel asked Sullivan about remaining in a county prison because he has been incarcerated for almost two years.

Sullivan advised Noel that he would be credited for time served but transferred to a state prison because three years remain on the minimum proposed sentence. The judge also told Noel that if he decided against pleading and elected to plead later, then the length of the incarceration imposed would be up to a judge.

“It’s my intention,” Sullivan said to Noel, “to accept the recommendation and impose the five to 15 years.”

After Noel indicated that he would follow through with the plea, Chris Blowers spoke in court, asking Noel why he had rendered no assistance to his son, Joshua.

“My son lay dying there and you chose to do nothing. … It could have been you,” Chris Blowers said.

Investigators, in the criminal charges, indicated that Noel was one of the people in the apartment after Joshua Blowers overdosed. Police also said Noel left before authorities were notified.

“I am really sorry,” Noel said in response to Chris Blowers. “He was gone before I found him.”

Shariff A. Lucas, another link in the heroin-selling chain leading to Blowers’ death, is scheduled for trial in January on the drug delivery resulting in death and related charges.

When filing charges, police named Lucas as Miles’ heroin supplier, including the heroin laced with fentanyl, which led to Blowers’ overdose death.