OCEAN COUNTY, NJ – Jehmar Barrett, 36, of Lacey Township, was sentenced to six years in New Jersey State Prison on Friday, by the Honorable Kimarie Rahill, J.S.C., for his guilty plea to Manslaughter.
This conviction stems from the death of a 35-year-old female in Toms River on November 24, 2020. Barrett will serve at least 85 percent of his sentence under the No Early Release Act before potential parole consideration.
On the evening of November 24, 2020, Toms River Township Police Officers were dispatched to a residence on Alabama Avenue after reports of an unresponsive female. The victim was found deceased, with initial findings suggesting a drug overdose.
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and Toms River Police Department Detective Bureau later ascertained that Barrett had supplied the victim with what was believed to be heroin on November 23, 2020.
Toxicology results from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the presence of fentanyl in the victim’s system. Laboratory analysis determined that the substance Barrett provided to the victim was fentanyl, consistent with the type found in her system. The Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office concluded that the fentanyl was the cause of her death. Barrett was charged with the victim’s death on April 29, 2021, and turned himself in the following day. He was later released due to New Jersey Bail Reform.