CLEARFIELD — A Houtzdale man has been charged with drug delivery resulting in death in connection with the fatal overdose of a Clearfield man in November 2023.

Bruce Patrick Raab, 44, was arraigned on the charges by Clearfield County District Judge Joseph M. Morris on Tuesday afternoon. He was denied bail.

Raab’s other charges include felony counts of criminal use of a communication facility and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, in addition to misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering another person and intentional possession of a controlled substance.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, police were called to a Clearfield residence on Nov. 27, 2023, in response to a call that a man had found his son cold and unresponsive. When police arrived, emergency medical personnel confirmed the man was dead and the coroner had already been called.

Objects at the scene indicated he had suffered a drug overdose.

The victim’s mother supplied police with an iPad she said he used to arrange drug deals. She didn’t know if he had a cellphone, but later she located one hidden under his pillow and turned it over to investigators.

She said she found messages on the phone, between the victim and Raab, in which the purchase of drugs was discussed shortly before his death.

A warrant was obtained for the device and the phone searched it more thoroughly. In it, police found “extensive correspondence” between the two with details on the payment and availability of controlled substances beginning shortly after midnight on Nov. 26, 2023, and ending with a thank you from the victim at 3:38 a.m. on Nov. 27, 2023.

In one message, the victim states that he hadn’t “been able to get high since I been out.” The victim had gotten out of the county jail just six days prior, according to the report. He also complained that no one else would respond to his messages asking for drugs.

Investigators determined that the last message sent by the victim was at 4:36 a.m. that morning thanking another individual who was complimenting him on “looking good and staying sober lately.”

Raab, who was in the county jail on various drug possession, paraphernalia and burglary charges, was interrogated by officers three different times — in May, September and November. On each occasion, he initially seemed to want to cooperate with the investigation, but then asked to end the interview without revealing any information.

An autopsy revealed the cause of the victim’s death was multi-drug toxicity including amphetamine and fentanyl, according to the criminal complaint.

Raab is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 4 during centralized court at the county jail.