Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of a superseding indictment charging ANTHONY DODAJ, 46, and DUANE MARTINEZ, 44, with narcotics dealing that resulted in the heroin overdose death of a 41-year-old patient in a hospital rehabilitation clinic.
On April 20, 2017, a grand jury returned an indictment charging DODAJ and MARTINEZ with conspiracy to distribute heroin. The indictment alleges that heroin distributed by DODAJ and MARTINEZ on January 1, 2017, resulted in the death of Ivy Katz, age 41.
DODAJ was arrested on a complaint on March 27, 2017, and was held without bail. MARTINEZ will be presented in federal court in Manhattan before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox later today. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick. DODAJ and MARTINEZ each face a mandatory minimum term of 20 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim stated: “As alleged, Duane Martinez and Anthony Dodaj worked together to deliver a fatal dose of heroin to Ivy Katz, even as she was a patient in a hospital rehabilitation clinic. Martinez and Dodaj will now be held to account for their role in fueling the tragic overdose death crisis in New York City.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill stated: “These defendants face 20-years-to-life in prison in connection with the overdose death of a 41-year-old woman. Those who sell heroin should know that the NYPD is committed to investigating overdoses to hold dealers responsible for their deaths. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the NYPD detectives who worked on this case. Together, we’re fighting the alarming rise in overdoses with every tool we have.”
As alleged in the Indictment against DODAJ and MARTINEZ[1]:
From at least in or about September 2016 through in or about March 2017, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, ANTHONY DODAJ and DUANE MARTINEZ, the defendants, and others conspired to sell heroin. In addition, the use of controlled substances distributed by DODAJ and MARTINEZ on or about January 1, 2017, resulted in the death of Ivy Katz.
ANTHONY DODAJ, 46, and DUANE MARTINEZ, 44, each face a maximum of life in prison, and a mandatory term of 20 years in prison.
The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorney David W. Denton Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
No comments:
Post a Comment