Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Passaic County Man Sentenced to 150 Months in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl That Led To Overdose Death
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 150 months in prison for distributing fentanyl that caused the death of another person, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Wyzier Peterson, 25, of Paterson, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an information charging him with one count of distribution of fentanyl relating to the overdose death of an individual. Judge Martinotti imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On June 30, 2019, Peterson sold heroin and fentanyl, which was later ingested by the victim, resulting in the victim’s death.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Peterson to three years of supervised release.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller; special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Daniel J. Kafafian in Newark; officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; officers of the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety; and detectives of the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Camelia Valdes, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bergen County Sheriff's Office and the Belleville and Livingston police departments for their assistance with the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori, Special Prosecutions Division.
###