Hanover Township, NJ — Anthony Dello-Russo, 28, of Morris Plains, has been sentenced in connection with a fatal overdose, according to Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Hanover Township Police Chief Michael Loock. Dello-Russo pleaded guilty to first-degree Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Death and second-degree Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute.
On Friday, July 26, the Honorable Ralph Amirata, J.S.C., sentenced Dello-Russo to an aggregate term of seven years in New Jersey State Prison. Five years of this sentence will be subject to the No Early Release Act. Additionally, Dello-Russo agreed to forfeit $51,788 in U.S. currency as part of the plea agreement.
The case stems from a February 16, 2023, incident where law enforcement responded to a residence in Whippany following a report of an unconscious male. The victim, identified as T.H., 28, was pronounced dead at the scene. The Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be combined toxicity of cocaine, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl.
Investigators discovered that Dello-Russo distributed the fatal substances to T.H. on February 15, 2023. Furthermore, on December 8, 2023, Dello-Russo was found in possession of more than one-half ounce of cocaine at his residence with the intent to distribute. He was initially arrested on December 8, 2023, and later charged with first-degree Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Death on December 26, 2023.
The Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Death statute, N.J.S. 2C:35-9, holds individuals who manufacture, distribute, or dispense controlled dangerous substances strictly liable for deaths resulting from the use of those substances.
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