A Hanover man pleaded guilty last week to selling fentanyl-laced drugs to a township man who later died of an overdose in a deal that greatly reduces the amount of time he may have faced in prison.

Anthony Dello-Russo, 27, pleaded guilty to first-degree strict liability for drug-induced death and second-degree possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, namely cocaine. Dello-Russo accepted a plea deal from prosecutors that drops the first-degree to a second-degree for sentencing purposes, offering him a total of seven years in prison: Five years for the strict liability charge and seven years for the possession charge, which would run concurrent.

Dello-Russo was facing a total maximum sentencing exposure of up to 30 years.

The 28-year-old victim had arrived around 8 p.m. on Feb. 14, 2023 at Dello-Russo’s home in Whippany, which is an unincorporated community in Hanover, Dello-Russo said in court on June 5 before state Superior Court Judge Ralph Amirata. The victim, who was only identified by his initials, purchased the cocaine and went straight home, which was roughly 2 to 3 miles from Dello-Russo’s house, according to Peter Gilbreth, Dello-Russo’s attorney.

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The following day, the victim was discovered dead by his mother inside the home.

Gilbreth said his firm hired several experts, including one that determined it was “clear” the victim died as a result of the fentanyl-laced cocaine Dello-Russo had sold him. Text messages between the two men showed they had conversed before the drug deal, and experts using cellphone records determined the victim had spent a total of 40 minutes from the time he arrived at Dello-Russo’s house to returning home. The records showed the victim had not gone anywhere else that evening, Gilbreth said.

The victim’s death was a result of an overdose caused by a combination of cocaine with fentanyl, according to Tara Wang, a Morris County assistant prosecutor. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be 100 times more powerful than morphine.

To charge someone with a crime of strict liability drug-induced death, prosecutors have to prove that the drug that caused the death was sold by an individual and that it led to the death of another. State statute does not require the charge to include the intention of death.

Gilbreth has requested his client, who is a college graduate, serve time in a minimum security prison. Although Amirata said he could potentially put that in the conviction paperwork, it is up to the Department of Corrections to determine an inmate’s classification.

Several other charges against Dello-Russo, including a distribution charge, were dismissed as part of the plea deal.

His sentencing is scheduled for July 26.

Email: lcomstock@njherald.com; Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Morris County NJ man pleads guilty in 2023 overdose death