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Angel Hernandez, 39, was sentenced Friday in Paterson to 13 years in prison on two convictions of strict liability for a drug-induced death, 85% of which he must serve without parole under the state’s No Early Release Act.
Hernandez supplied the heroin that killed 24-year-old Eric Somelsa of Paterson in March 2015 and Daniel Renois, 23, of Clifton two years ago this month.
Both doses were sold in Clifton, authorities said.
Strict liability for a drug-induced death is a first-degree charge that carries a 20-year sentence if the defendant is tried by a judge or jury.
Hernandez, instead, accepted a deal from prosecutors in which he admitted his guilt in exchange for a lighter sentence – sparing the expense of a trial, as well as the emotional toll it could have taken on the victims’ loved ones.
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