The Hennepin County attorney's office and Maple Grove Police announced third-degree murder charges Wednesday against two men accused of providing heroin to a young Maple Grove man who later died from an overdose.

It's part of an increase in prosecution of alleged heroin dealers in the Twin Cities in the past couple of years in response to the alarming rise in heroin overdose deaths metrowide.

"We are aggressively prosecuting," Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said. "We want to send a statement."

On Wednesday, James Marione Butchee, 29, an alleged Minneapolis dealer known as "C, " was charged with third-degree murder in the July 12 death of a 22-year-old Maple Grove man, who is identified only as JDP by the county. He was found dead by police in his Maple Grove home next to a syringe, tourniquet and piece of paper with suspected heroin residue on it. It was determined he had died of a heroin overdose.

Also charged with third-degree murder was Anthony Allyn Simons, 22, of Brooklyn Park, who police say provided the Maple Grove man with $50 worth of heroin, buying it from Butchee outside a Minneapolis Chipotle.

Kelly Smith • 612-673-4141

Twitter: @kellystrib