Fatal Fentanyl Dose In Garfield Traced To Paterson Dealer, Prosecutor Says

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

A Garfield man never woke up after taking what authorities say was a lethal dose of fentanyl — and the man accused of selling it to him was already in custody, officials said.

Gaston Navarro, 40, of Paterson, is charged with strict liability for drug-induced death and drug distribution in connection with a Thursday, April 24, death investigation in Garfield, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.

It was just before 6:45 p.m. that day when Garfield Police were called to a private home for a medical emergency, Musella said. Officers found a 41-year-old man unresponsive. Emergency crews pronounced him dead at the scene.

Indicators of a possible drug overdose were noted, and detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force were notified, Musella said. A joint investigation with Garfield Police traced the drugs back to Navarro.

Detectives determined the victim’s dose contained a deadly level of fentanyl, Musella said. Investigators allege Navarro was the one who provided it, setting in motion the events that ended in the man’s death.

On Wednesday, Aug. 20, while Navarro was already in custody at the Bergen County Jail on an unrelated matter, detectives charged him with first-degree strict liability for drug-induced death and third-degree distribution of fentanyl. He remains behind bars pending a detention hearing in Hackensack.

Records show that on Aug. 18, Navarro was charged with multiple counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) or analog, including Schedule I, II, III, and IV drugs. He is accused of manufacturing, distributing, or possessing with intent to distribute heroin and/or cocaine in amounts greater than 5 ounces, between half an ounce and 5 ounces, and less than half an ounce, records show. He is also charged with distributing CDS or analogs on or near school property and possessing or distributing within 500 feet of certain public property. Additional charges include maintaining or operating a CDS production facility.