Juhaan Hammond
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the sentencing term handed down in Bergen County Superior Court on Monday, October 20, 2025, against 32-year-old JUHAAN HAMMOND of Garfield, NJ in connection with charges filed during a 2023 strict liability drug overdose death investigation.
On Sunday, September 17, 2023, the Garfield Police Department responded to the drug overdose of two victims. Arriving officers initiated life-saving measures, including the administration of Naloxone. The victims were subsequently transported to an area hospital for treatment whereupon one of the victims, a 30-year-old Garfield man, was pronounced deceased.
Detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force and the Garfield Police Department, with assistance from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, initiated an investigation into the overdose death and the related drug activity. The investigation revealed that JUHAAN HAMMOND distributed a fatal dose of narcotics to the victim, causing his death. HAMMOND was arrested by detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Garfield Police Department on Thursday, September 21, 2023.
On Monday, July 21, 2025, JUHAAN HAMMOND pled guilty before the Honorable Kevin Purvin, J.S.C. in Bergen County Superior Court to first-degree strict liability drug-induced death of another. He also pled guilty to a violation of probation.
On Monday, October 20, 2025, during a proceeding in Bergen County Superior Court before the Honorable Kevin Purvin, J.S.C, JUHAAN HAMMOND was sentenced to seven years in New Jersey State Prison, subject to New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (“NERA”), which requires the defendant to serve at least 85% of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole. HAMMOND was also sentenced to five years imprisonment, to be served concurrently, for violating his probation. The State was represented by Assistant Prosecutor David Malfitano of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutor Musella thanks and recognizes the prosecution team for their advocacy in this case. Prosecutor Musella also commends the Detectives of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force, the members of the Garfield Police Department, and the members of the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their skill and professionalism in investigating this matter.