NORWICH – An accused heroin dealer incarcerated at the Chenango County Correctional Facility was charged with felony assault Dec. 31 after allegedly fighting with another inmate.

Following months of investigation by the Norwich City Police and New York State Troopers, police arrested 39-year-old David A. Cahill and his 21-year-old live-in girlfriend for allegedly trafficking heroin at their residence at 4 Lee Ave. on Sept. 30.

Chenango County Sheriff’s Lt. Richard Cobb said the dispute between the two inmates occurred while they were engaged in a recreational activity at around 4 p.m. Dec. 30.

“If this crime had been committed on the street, in all likelihood it would have been a misdemeanor, but New York State makes such offenses a felony when they occur in incarceration,” he said.

The 22-year-old alleged victim in the case was treated for minor injuries, including a bruised face and chipped teeth, at the Chenango County Correctional Facility’s medical center and returned to the regular inmate population.