Man Dies After Overdosing On Heroin He Bought For $10: Prosecutor

An alleged drug dealer from Camden County has been charged with murder after a Marlton man he sold $10 worth of heroin to in September died, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Evesham Township Police Chief Christopher Chew announced on Wednesday.

Jimmy Flakes Jr., 40, of Lawnside, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with first-degree strict liability for a drug-induced death. Police found a 45-year-old Marlton man dead in his home on Sept. 28. Investigators believe he overdosed on heroin that Flakes sold to him for $10.

"This is another example of the determined effort by law enforcement in Burlington County, and our partners from other counties, to investigate and prosecute those who are responsible for taking lives with the poison that they peddle," Coffina said. "People dealing lethal drugs should realize that when their product kills their customers, they will be staring at a 20-year prison term for a first-degree, strict-liability homicide. I commend Evesham PD for aggressively investigating this case and all overdoses — fatal and nonfatal — so we can hold accountable those individuals preying on the vulnerability of people struggling with addiction, and vow to use all tools at our disposal to fight the ongoing drug abuse epidemic."

Flakes was lodged in the Burlington County Jail pending a detention hearing in Superior Court. The case will now be prepared for presentation to a Burlington County Grand Jury for possible indictment.

The case was investigated by the Evesham Township Police Department, with assistance from the Lawnside Police Department in Camden County. The lead investigator was Evesham Township Police Detective Christopher A. DeFrancesco.

The attached image of Jimmy Flakes Jr. was provided by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office