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Peter Mariano, 52, of Jess Court in the Fenimore Village trailer park, was charged with strict liability for drug-induced death, and possession and sale of a controlled dangerous substance, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Medford Township Police Chief Richard J. Meder said in a statement.
Crystal Elder was found dead in the bathroom of her Medford Township home on Sept. 2, 2019, after a relative asked Medford Township police to check on her, Coffina and Meder said.
An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined that Elder died of drug toxicity from heroin and fentanyl, and it's alleged that the drugs that caused her overdose were sold by Mariano.
Mariano was arrested outside his home on June 7, they said, and is being held in the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly pending a detention hearing in Superior Court.
Mariano will be prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Jeremy Lackey.
The case was investigated by detectives from the prosecutor's office and the Medford Township Police Department, with assistance from the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit, Eastampton Township Police Department and New Jersey State Police. The lead investigators are BCPO Detective Steve Laramie and Medford Township Police Detective Christopher Matson.
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