An Egg Harbor Township man has pleaded guilty to causing a 2016 overdose death.
Jamal Campos, 26, was arrested during a raid at the Bayview Inn & Suites last August.
He pleaded guilty Thursday to causing the April 22, 2016 overdose death of Adam O'Gara, 42, in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner announced Tuesday.
An investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office led to fentanyl that was distributed by Campos, Tyner said.
Campos was set to go into drug court before the first-degree charge came in August, his attorney had told a judge during his detention hearing last year. Campos already had three indictable drug arrests, another arrest and two bench warrants at the time, according to court records.
Campos faces a 20-year sentence with 8½ years without parole when he is sentenced June 21.
He faced a potential life sentence if convicted at trial.
Tyner has said fighting the drug epidemic was one of his top three priorities as prosecutor. He is the first in Atlantic County to charge anyone under the drug-induced death statute.
The state allegedly had text messages showing Campos was the leader of the drug-trafficking ring, setting prices and ordering others on sales.
Campos was out of jail for a couple of days in November, after he wasn't indicted within the required 90 days. But he was then indicted, and re-arrested.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, Atlantic County SWAT, Atlantic City Police Department and SWAT, Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office, Egg Harbor Township Police Department, Hamilton Township Police Department, Galloway Township Police Department, Stockton University Police Department, Cape May County SWAT, New Jersey State Police-Atlantic City Expressway, Atlantic City Department of Licensing & Inspections, South Jersey Turnpike Authority, Atlantic County Office of Emergency Management, Atlantic City Board of Education, the Salvation Army, Animal Control of South Jersey-Egg Harbor Township, AtlantiCare and Exceptional EMS.
