News

Community warned about heroin dangers by unlikely source

PITTSBURGH — A man who said he used to sell drugs, including heroin, in Natrona Heights apologized for his actions.

Rob Ecker, 25, contacted Channel 11 News because he wanted to tell his story.

“I started off selling marijuana,” Ecker said.

By January of this year, he was selling heroin. That’s when drug task force agents showed up at his house one morning before dawn and arrested him.

“At the time I was scared, but in ways it was relief,” Ecker said.  “I’m glad I got caught. It shouldn’t have taken me getting caught to stop doing what I was doing.”

He told Channel 11's Steven Fisher he often felt guilty after seeing what drug addiction did to families.

“I made a horrible mistake and I was just enabling people to do this drug,” Ecker said.  “They sell their food stamps and stuff like that. “There are kids out there who don’t have food because of this.”

Ecker plans to plead guilty to the charges against him at a court hearing in June. Once he serves his sentence, he hopes to help others avoid making the same mistakes he made.

“I don’t expect forgiveness. Even apologies,  it isn’t good enough.”

See his full story tonight on Channel 11 News at 5.