A city woman who pleaded guilty to her role in a 2023 overdose death will serve five to 10 years in state prison.

In court Wednesday, a tearful Tylo Breon Schilling, 29, apologized for her actions. “I never meant to hurt anyone,” she said.

In addition to prison time, President Judge Wade A. Kagarise sentenced Schilling to serve 10 years of probation. She is eligible for the state drug treatment program.

Schilling, who was accused of supplying the drugs that resulted in the death of 30-year-old Zachary Zembower, pleaded guilty in April to felony charges of drug delivery resulting in death, possession with intent to deliver and criminal use of a communication facility, along with a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance.

The investigation into Zembower’s death turned up messages between Zembower and Schilling indicating that they met up before his body was discovered in his bedroom on March 13, 2023. An autopsy showed that he died from a multi-drug overdose that included fentanyl, morphine, loperamide, THC and mitragynine, according to court documents.

During Wednesday’s proceedings, President Judge Wade A. Kagarise heard from the victim’s family, as well as Schilling’s family.

Sandra Zembower read her husband’s statement, followed by her personal words, to emphasize the significance of the loss of their only child.

“I always thought of myself as a strong man, but losing my son has broken me in many ways,” her husband’s statement read.

He requested Schilling receive the maximum sentence to showcase the extent of her actions.

Mirroring her husband’s suggestion, Zembower said, “I need to see this through, and I want to see this upheld to the fullest extent.”

She said that her son struggled and wasn’t perfect, but he was a gentle and kind soul. During one of their last conversations, he expressed interest in becoming a veterinarian. The Zembowers also hoped that their son would find a significant other and have children.

“I’ve been told I’m strong, but your honor, I don’t feel strong,” Sandra Zembower said.

She then turned to Schilling and said that the couple doesn’t condemn her for her actions, but rather encourages her to learn from her mistakes.

Zembower told a crying Schilling that she now has a chance to change her life, something that her own son won’t be able to do.

Zembower embraced Schilling’s parents after her statements, and Schilling’s father, Thomas Schilling, turned to the victim’s family and apologized.

“The impact of the consequences will be felt by the family forever,” District Attorney Pete Weeks told Kagarise.

Weeks said that Schilling was a victim of sexual assault by a family member, which may have contributed to her decision to use drugs. However, she sold drugs later on, and there must be consequences for her actions.

Weeks said Schilling had a 2017 conviction in Cambria County where one person overdosed and the other two involved disposed of the evidence in a trash can.

In that case, Schilling was convicted of tampering with evidence and was put on parole while receiving drug treatment, Weeks said. Despite learning from previous mistakes, she continued to involve herself with drugs and caused a death through drug distribution, he said.

Weeks recommended that Schilling be sentenced to five to 10 years in prison, 10 years of probation and admission into the state drug treatment program.

He said that this prosecution saved Schilling’s life, as it made it difficult for her to obtain drugs while serving prison time.

Schilling’s sister, Tierney, said that Schilling suffered 12 years of sexual assault from their grand­father, adding that she didn’t have a choice in who she became.

“I want the court to help her and who she was meant to be,” she said.

Thomas Schilling also gave a character statement stating that Blair County must solve its drug problem.

“The world that we live in put us in this courtroom today,” he said.

He said it took his daughter years to reveal how her grandfather sexually assaulted her, and she suffered and lost many friends after turning to drugs.

Defense attorney Thomas Dickey told Kagarise that Schilling’s grandfather sexually assaulted her starting when she was 7 years old. He faced serious charges, but he died before prosecution and incarceration.

Dickey said that Schilling wrote to the District Attorney’s office in 2017, indicating that she used drugs because of losing a loved one and being a victim of sexual assault.

He suggested that Schilling serve 4.5 years in prison with access to the drug state treatment program.

Kagarise expressed his sympathy to the Zembower family, as he said the presentation was compelling and the willingness to offer Schilling help was remarkable.

“It’s not often we see that compassion,” he said.

He also thanked Schilling’s family for being present Wednesday morning, stating that it’s important to have support going forward.

While handing down Schilling’s sentence, Kagarise added that she was instructed to pay up to $300 in fines and approved for the drug state treatment program, most likely starting in June.

Dickey thanked the Zembower family for approving Schilling’s enrollment in the program.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.