A Gloucester County Judge sentenced Joshua L. Rodriguez, 24, of Camden to 18 years in New Jersey state prison for his conviction on a charge of strict first-degree liability for a drug-induced death of a 42-year-old Woolwich Township NJ man who died of a heroin overdose in late October.
According to court documents, Under the New Jersey No Early Release Act, Rodriguez must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole, Superior Court Judge M. Christine Allen-Jackson said in imposing the sentence.
Five years of parole supervision will follow his release from prison documents said.
Though Judge Allen-Jackson denied the request of Senior Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Staci Scheetz to sentence Rodriguez to an extended term of 25 years because of his criminal record, the judge called the defendant a professional drug dealer who should be imprisoned for the protection of society.
“In light of the scourge heroin has caused, law enforcement, in appropriate cases, will continue to pursue dealers who sell lethal doses of this drug,” Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean. F. Dalton said.
Rodriguez’ lawyer asked the judge to consider that he was a low-level “bundle boy” drug seller and was the only one charged, but Scheetz said he was a participant in an organized criminal activity and would continue his conduct “as long as a market exists.”
Court documents said, the deceased man, Daniel Chakov, was found unconscious in a bedroom of his parents’ home, where he lived.
Witnesses in the court proceedings testified against Rodriguez saying Chakov was driven to Camden to purchase heroin from the defendant.
The jury convicted Rodriguez on February 22nd.
Rodriguez's default bail had him in jail since his arrest in December 2014.