Paterson Man Charged With Selling Drugs That Killed A Garfield Man
Thursday, September 4, 2025, 11:30 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
GARFIELD, NJ.- Last month, following an investigation, a 40-year-old Paterson, New Jersey, man detained on unrelated charges, was formally charged in connection with supplying fentanyl-laced narcotics to a 41-year-old Garfield, New Jersey, man, resulting in his death.
According to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella, on Thursday, April 24, 2025, just shortly before 6:45 p.m., members of the Garfield Police Department responded to a 911 Emergency Call reporting a medical emergency at a residence located in the Borough of Garfield.
Upon arrival, Police Officers found an unresponsive 41-year-old Garfield, New Jersey, man who was subsequently pronounced deceased at the scene. During the initial investigation, Responding Police Officers found evidence of narcotics activity and that a possible overdose had occurred. Detectives of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force responded to the scene, and an investigation was launched into the fatal overdose of the man.
Detectives Develop Information That Navarro Sold The Drugs
During a months-long investigation, Detectives of the Bergen County Narcotics Task Force, in conjunction with the Garfield Police Department, determined that the controlled dangerous substance ingested by the man contained a lethal dose of fentanyl, and that Gaston Navarro, 40, of Paterson, New Jersey, was identified as the individual who distributed the fatal dose of narcotics to the man, causing his death.
Detectives Formally Charge Navarro Late Last Month
Accordingly, on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, while in custody in the Bergen County Jail on an unrelated matter, Detectives formally charged Navarro with one count of first-degree Strict Liability for a Drug-Induced Death of Another; and third-degree Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, Fentanyl. Navarro was processed on the charges and will remain detained, pending future court proceedings in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, New Jersey.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
