Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that a Trenton drug dealer has been sentenced to 12 years in New Jersey state prison for causing the death of a Pemberton Township man who fatally overdosed on fentanyl he sold to him during the summer of 2020.

Marvin Montoya, 35, must serve 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Under an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office, Montoya pled guilty in January in Superior Court to Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Death (First Degree). The sentence was handed down March 11 by the Hon. Gerard H. Breland, J.S.C.

“Fentanyl continues to take a horrendous toll on the residents of Burlington County,” Prosecutor Coffina said. “We reaffirm our commitment to fighting the unrelenting epidemic of Substance Use Disorder with every tool in our arsenal, from expanded access to treatment through our Straight … to Treatment program, to continuing to hold drug dealers accountable by pursuing this first-degree charge in every case where the evidence supports it.”

The investigation began after the decedent, 23-year-old Michael Williams, was discovered by a relative in their Browns Mills home the morning of August 11, 2020, after he failed to get up for work. The investigation revealed that Williams had previously traveled to Trenton and purchased the drugs from Montoya in the city’s North Ward.

An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined that Williams died of fentanyl toxicity.

Montoya was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Laura Heisman.

The investigation was conducted by the Pemberton Township Police Department, with assistance from the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit. The lead investigator was Pemberton Township Lt. Jay Watters, who has since been promoted to chief.

2022-39 Drug-Induced Death Sentencing

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