A Hudson County man was convicted today for his role in trafficking heroin and fentanyl into a New Jersey state prison, resulting in the overdose of one of the inmates, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Federal officials said Noel Salgado, aka “Kuko,” 41, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, which resulted in serious bodily injury, following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court.
According to federal officials, the jury did not reach a unanimous verdict against co-defendant Rodgerick Garrett.
According to the documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
While incarcerated at Bayside State Prison, Salgado directed associates to provide narcotics proceeds to him and his associates and smuggle narcotics into prison to distribute to other inmates.
On Oct. 17, 2015, Salgado called an associate from prison to arrange to purchase and smuggle into the prison heroin and fentanyl.
Another conspirator picked up the narcotics and smuggled them to Salgado on Oct. 18, 2015.
The following day, an inmate to whom Salgado had distributed the narcotics was found unresponsive in his cell, suffering from a drug overdose.
The inmate stopped breathing on his own and remained unconscious for approximately 20 minutes before medical personnel administered Narcan to revive him.
The inmate was hospitalized for two days.
The charges that the defendant was convicted of carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a maximum $1 million fine.
The conspiracy charge on which he was convicted carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison.