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The boy had been directed by Troy Nokes, 35, of Blackwood, to clean fentanyl paraphernalia before he passed out on a school bus on Jan. 24, according to Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay and Gloucester Twp. Police Chief David Harkins.
Life-saving measures were performed by the school nurse until EMS arrived and took the child to the hospital. He died of his injuries eight days later.
The child lived at a home in Blackwood, where Nokes ran a drug production facility, authorities said.
A post-mortem exam was conducted by the City of Philadelphia Office of the Medical Examiner’s Office, which determined the cause of death was drug Intoxication, specifically fentanyl.
Nokes was charged on Monday, March 21, with aggravated manslaughter, strict liability drug-induced death, maintaining a CDS production facility, employing a juvenile in a drug distribution scheme,and 12 other related charges, MacAulay and Harkins said.
Nokes was also charged with directing the child to clean paraphernalia that contained fentanyl, they said. Witnesses indicate that the child was not wearing gloves at the time.
Joanna Johnson, Nokes’ co-defendant, is charged with tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension (of Nokes).
Both Nokes and Johnson were arrested by the US Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Force (RFTF). They are currently detained in the Camden County Correctional Facility pending a pretrial detention hearing.
Investigation into this matter is ongoing and anyone with additional information is asked to contact Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Lateasha Jones at (856) 225-8656 or Gloucester Twp. Police Detective Mark Grodzielanek at 856-374-5718.
Tips can also be sent anonymously to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.
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