Accused Drug Dealer Charged In Overdose Death: Morris County Prosecutor

HANOVER, NJ — An alleged drug dealer has been charged in the overdose death of a Morris County man, the Morris County Prosecutor announced Friday.

Blaine Holley, 34, most recently of Hillside, was charged in the September 2016 overdose death of Eric Decter, 31, in Hanover, Prosecutor Fredrick M. Knapp announced. Holley is accused of selling Decter the drugs he took at the time of his overdose, and was charged with strict liability for drug-induced death.

That charge can be levied against anyone who "manufactures, distributes or dispenses any of a number of controlled dangerous substances is strictly liable for a death that results from the injection, inhalation, or ingestion of that substance," Knapp said. If found guilty, Holley could face 20 years on that charge.

Holley is accusing of selling Decter various narcotics on multiple occasions, including the day of his death. Decter was found dead at a hotel in Hanover on Sept. 19, 2016, and police believe he took drugs provided by Holley. He is also charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances (heroin and cocaine), and is currently lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility.

Members of the Hanover Police Department, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Special Enforcement Unit, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office – Criminal Investigation Section, and the Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office have contributed to this investigation.

Image: Shutterstock

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