5-3-13 racine man pleads not guilty in dodge county drug overdose death

A Racine man charged in the August heroin overdose death of a Town of Portland man has pleaded not guilty to charges against him.  26 year old Willie DeGroot entered the plea Wednesday in Dodge County Circuit Court.  He’s charged with first degree reckless homicide.  DeGroot is accused of supplying the drugs that led to the overdose death of 23 year old Joshua Loewen.  According to a criminal complaint, Loewen’s family found him unresponsive in his room.  He was transported to the hospital and died a short time later.  Following an investigation and the execution of a search warrant at DeGroot’s Racine home, DeGroot allegedly admitted to supplying Loewen with heroin, but says he was just a middle man.