Garfield Man Sentenced To Seven Years In Prison For Drug-Induced Death, Prosecutor Says

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

A Garfield man has been sentenced to seven years in state prison for distributing a fatal dose of narcotics that caused another man’s death, authorities said.

Juhaan Hammond, 32, of Garfield, was sentenced on Monday, Oct. 20, in Bergen County Superior Court before Judge Kevin Purvin, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.

The case stems from a September 17, 2023 overdose that left 31-year-old Ivan Santiago of Garfield dead, as previously reported by Daily Voice. 

According to investigators, officers from the Garfield Police Department responded to the scene after two victims overdosed. Responding officers administered Naloxone and performed life-saving measures, police said.

Both victims were taken to a nearby hospital, where one was pronounced dead, authorities said.

An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force, Garfield Police Department, and Bergen County Sheriff’s Office determined that Hammond had supplied the drugs that caused the fatal overdose. He was arrested on Sept. 21, 2023, prosecutors said.

Hammond later pleaded guilty to first-degree strict liability drug-induced death and violating probation on July 21, 2025, before Judge Purvin.

On Monday, the judge sentenced Hammond to seven years in New Jersey State Prison under the No Early Release Act, which requires him to serve 85% of his sentence before being eligible for parole. He was also sentenced to a concurrent five-year term for violating probation, authorities said.

Assistant Prosecutor David Malfitano represented the state in the case.

Musella commended the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force, the Garfield Police Department, and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their professionalism and work on the investigation.