Morris County officials announced the sentencing of Quamaine T. King, 32, of Paterson, for causing the Drug-Induced Death in Riverdale back in January.
Officials said on June 10, King entered a guilty plea to one count of first-degree Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Death before the Honorable David H. Ironson, J.S.C.
According to Morris County officials, the statute provides that any person who manufactures, distributes, or dispenses any number of controlled dangerous substances is strictly liable for a death that results from the injection, inhalation, or ingestion of that substance.
In the incident, police said on January 10, law enforcement responded to a 9-1-1 report of an unresponsive male in the bathroom of Target in Riverdale.
Police said the male victim, later identified as M.R., 23, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office certified the cause of M.R.’s death as fentanyl and heroin intoxication.
Based on subsequent investigation, King was charged with distributing heroin and fentanyl to M.R. in Paterson and that M.R.’s death was caused by ingestion of these substances.
Judge David H. Ironson sentenced King on Thursday to seven years in New Jersey State Prison, subject to the eighty-five (85) percent parole ineligibility requirements of the No Early Release Act.
Acting Prosecutor Carroll said, “Each day, we are losing entirely too many members of our community to drug overdoses, and drug-related deaths have only increased due to the multi-faceted challenges posed by COVID-19.
The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Sheriff’s Office and the Morris County Chiefs of Police Association members are resolute in our commitment to investigating and enforcing applicable state law, which calls for prosecuting distributors, whose sales lead to drug-related deaths, as first-degree offenders.
We will investigate each and every overdose death and target the dealer of these deadly poisons.
Distributors who prey upon the addicted will be held responsible - for both their drug distribution offense AND the unacceptable loss of life that all too often results.”
“It is essential that the community is aware of the law and support our resolve to enforce it in order to protect the citizens of Morris County.
Let this be a warning to drug dealers that they are taking an enormous risk with every fold of heroin/fentanyl they distribute.”