Heroin Dealer Held on $50K Bail in Overdose Death

A city woman who police say sold heroin to a 22-year-old Portsmouth woman who died of a drug overdose was ordered held on $50,000 cash only bail at her arraignment in Portsmouth Circuit Court Monday morning.

Jennifer Landry, 41, of 309 Oriental Gardens in Portsmouth, chose to say nothing regarding her bail conditions when asked by Judge Sawato Gardner. She was being held on bail at the Rockingham County Jail in Brentwood following her initial arrest in November for heroin possession.

Portsmouth Police Prosecutor David Colby called Landry "a danger to society" because of her past drug use and record of selling heroin to other users. He also said she represents a flight risk because she fled the city in November following the overdose death of 22-year-old Svetlana Filippenko on Nov. 21, 2012. Colby said Landry was arrested by Portland, Maine, Police after Portsmouth Police issued an arrest warrant.

Portsmouth Police arrested Landry on Monday morning at the county jail and charged her with sale of a controlled narcotic drug and with causing the victim's death through sale of a controlled narcotic, an offense that Portsmouth Deputy Police Chief Corey MacDonald said can carry a "life in prison" sentence, if convicted.

According to the police affidavit filed by Portsmouth Police Detective Matthew Hester, Filippenko was someone who had struggled with heroin addiction for some time. Hester noted that when police found her body inside her Ocean Road home, they learned she was taking a prescription drug to deal with her heroin addiction called Suboxone and that sometimes she would take that drug to get a "high" when she could not purchase heroin.

Portsmouth Police Detective Aaron Goodwin found a Victoria's Secret bag inside her room that contained five syringes, a spoon with brown residue, and four baggie corners with white residue. Police also found a small white baggie with white residue in her purse.

The police investigation focused on Landry following the arrest of Robert Chase, 26, who had been charged with a felony theft at BJ's Wholesale Club on Woodbury Avenue, according to Hester. Chase told police that Landry sold $45 of heroin to Filippenko at the Oriental Gardens Mobile Home Park behind the Mr. Bubble Car Wash on Nov. 20. Police also traced text messages sent to and from Filippenko and Chase in the days leading up to her death where she asked Chase to sell her some heroin. Chase gave her Landry's telephone number and police say Filippenko texted Landry to make a drug buy.

Following her arrest in November, Landry later waived her Miranda rights and told Portsmouth Police at the Rockingham County Jail in December that she sold the heroin to Filippenko that caused her death at Landry's Oriental Gardens home.

Judge Gardner ordered that if Landry makes bail, she has to report to a probation officer at least once per week and be subjected to drug screening. She also said that there would be a source of funds hearing if Landry were able to produce the cash bail. Gardner also ordered that Landry not have any alcohol, drugs, firearms or explosive devices. Gardner also scheduled a probable cause hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 8:30 a.m.

Following the arraignment, MacDonald said this case offers two important lessons: people who are currently addicted to drugs should seek help, and Portsmouth Police have no tolerance for those who choose to profit from other people's drug addictions.

"Portsmouth is a bad place to be if you are a drug dealer," MacDonald said.