Keyport Dealer Admits Death Of Aberdeen Man, Old Bridge Woman

KEYPORT, NJ — A drug dealer from Keyport was sentenced to state prison Monday, Jan. 7 for supplying the fentanyl and heroin that state prosecutors say caused two overdose deaths in August 2017.

Terrill Spann, 31, of Keyport, N.J., was sentenced to 10 years in state prison, including 8 ½ years of parole ineligibility.

Spann pleaded guilty on Oct. 26 of last year to two counts of first-degree strict liability for drug-induced death. In pleading guilty, Spann admitted that he supplied the drugs that killed Wayne Cameron Jr., 29, of Aberdeen Township and Gabriella Guidetti, 26, of Old Bridge Township. They died in separate incidents, but each had purchased the lethal heroin from Spann, state Attorney General Gurbrir Grewal.

Cameron was found dead in his bedroom on Aug. 3, 2017 from an overdose of fentanyl and heroin. Guidetti was found dead in her bedroom just a few days later, on Aug. 19, 2017 from an overdose of fentanyl. In each case, detectives determined that Spann was the drug dealer who supplied the victims with the lethal opioids shortly before their deaths.

“Spann was dealing heroin laced with fentanyl, a dangerous mix that is killing far too many people in New Jersey,” said Attorney General Grewal. “We are sending a message through these prosecutions that drug dealers who callously profit by fueling the epidemic of opiate addiction will face stern prison sentences when their products prove deadly.”

Fentanyl is one of the deadliest opioids, with a potency that is 50 times greater than heroin. It frequently is mixed with heroin, yielding doses of unpredictable and often lethal strength.

Deaths involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogs have increased tenfold over the past four years in New Jersey, with 1,379 fatal overdoses involving the synthetic opioid reported in 2017, according to preliminary data. Under a statewide Attorney General Directive governing investigations involving heroin and opiates, police and prosecutors in New Jersey are directed to investigate all overdose deaths with a view to potentially charging the dealers responsible under New Jersey’s strict liability for drug-induced death statute.

“We are working closely with law enforcement partners across the state to hold drug dealers strictly liable when the dangerous narcotics they traffic into our communities cause overdose deaths,” said Director Veronica Allende of the Division of Criminal Justice. “New Jersey’s strict-liability statute is an important tool that we are using as part of our multi-faceted efforts to fight the opioid epidemic – efforts that also include prevention and treatment strategies.”

The investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau was conducted with assistance from the Aberdeen Township Police Department and the Old Bridge Township Police Department.

Spann was represented by criminal defense attorney Adrienne D. Edward, Esq. of Jersey City, N.J.

Photo of Spann provided by the state of New Jersey/Criminal Justice Division.