Two Brooke County men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly delivering heroin that caused the death of another man.

Curtis J. Adams and Justin A. Withers, both 28 years old and from Wellsburg, are charged with distribution of heroin. If convicted, they could be sentenced life in prison.

The charges stem from the March 2011 death of a 22-year-old Follansbee man, said U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld II.

Adams and Withers are also charged with interstate travel in aid of racketeering for allegedly traveling to Steubenville to acquire the heroin and then back to Brooke County to distribute the drug to the victim.

Ihlenfeld said because the delivery of heroin is alleged to have caused the death of another, both men face up to life in prison. They also face up to five years imprisonment on the interstate travel charge.

"The Northern Panhandle has suffered the loss of an extraordinary number of people to drug overdose deaths over the past several years," Ihlenfeld said. "Whenever we can prove who provided the drugs that caused a drug overdose death then we're going to be very aggressive in prosecuting those who are responsible."

Adams appeared before Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert and was released on bond. Withers is in the custody of the state of West Virginia on unrelated charges, and both suspects are scheduled to be arraigned on Friday.

The case was investigated by the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, the Follansbee Police Department, and the Wellsburg Police Department. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin.