Hillsboro man charged with involuntary manslaughter

A Hillsboro man has been indicted by a Highland County grand jury on five charges, including a first-degree felony charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Joseph Dylan Houser, 24, was indicted Tuesday, Dec. 5 on involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony; corrupting another with drugs, a second-degree felony; aggravated trafficking in drugs, a fourth-degree felony; trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony; and possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony. The case was initially sealed.

The indictment alleges that on or about Feb. 3-4, Houser “did cause the death” of a victim “as a proximate result of [Houser] committing or attempting to commit a felony, to wit: corrupting another with drugs and aggravated trafficking in drugs.”

In the same time frame, Houser is accused of “knowingly by any means, administering or furnishing to another or inducing or causing another to use a controlled substance, and thereby causing serious physical harm” to a victim or “causing the other person to become drug dependent.” The drug is alleged to be a fentanyl-related compound.

On Feb. 3, it is alleged that Houser “did knowingly sell or offer to sell” oxycodone.

It is also alleged that on or about Feb. 15, Houser “did knowingly obtain, possess or use,” and “did knowingly prepare for shipment, ship, transport, deliver, prepare for distribution or distribute,” a fentanyl-related compound.

Houser was arrested Dec. 6, according to the Highland County Sheriff’s Office, and made an initial appearance in Highland County Common Pleas Court Dec. 8. A bond review hearing is set for Dec. 13, and a pretrial is scheduled for Jan. 3.

An indictment is merely a charge and is not evidence of guilt. For more December grand jury indictments, see the story at: https://highlandcountypress.com/news/highland-county-grand-jury-hands-d….