United States of America v. Daniel Garcia Jr.

Camden, New Jersey, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

On June 23, 2024, Daniel Garcia, Jr., ate 28, of Maple Shade, Pennsylvania, and another individual rushed the minor victim to the hospital because the minor was not breathing, having seizures, drooling, and unresponsive. The minor received life-saving care at the hospital and was later flown to a children’s hospital. As part of the medical treatment, the victim’s urine was screened for controlled substances. The tests returned positive results for benzodiazepine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Medical personnel at the children’s hospital informed law enforcement officers that the minor had been administered benzodiazepine and fentanyl during treatment, but that cocaine had not been administered. A doctor at the children’s hospital told law enforcement that the minor’s symptoms—including seizure, cardiac arrest, and cardiac arrythmia—were all symptoms of a cocaine overdose. The one-year-old victim’s heart stopped twice during the course of the medical care, but the minor thankfully was revived and survived.

While the victim was receiving life-saving treatment at the hospital, Garcia left the hospital and drove home. Surveillance video showed Garcia taking a laundry bag out of his home, putting it into the trunk of a different car than he had driven home, parking the second car across the parking lot in a location far from Garcia’s residence, and then driving the first car back to the hospital.

The next day, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Garcia’s home and found approximately $4,252 in cash, rubber bands consistent with those typically used in illegal drug packaging, an empty fold of paper consistent with illegal drug packaging, and an envelope containing both 9mm and .357 magnum ammunition. The day after that, June 25, 2024, law enforcement searched the car Garcia had parked across the parking lot, finding the laundry bag, $150,000 cash, approximately 329.1g of 100% pure methamphetamine, 767g of cocaine, 41 amphetamine tablets, 102 alprazolam tablets, 272 oxycodone tablets, 2.6g of MDMA powder, 1,341g of marijuana, 9.9g of psilocin and psilocybin mushrooms, 192g of crystalline cutting agents commonly used for illegal drug preparation, three digital scales, drug packaging material, two 9mm handguns, and a .357 magnum revolver. All three firearms were loaded.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, Chief Judge Bumb sentenced Garcia to two concurrent terms of five years of supervised release, to begin after the term of incarceration. Garcia also agreed to forfeit three firearms, more than 200 rounds of ammunition, and more than $155,000 that law enforcement seized in June 2024.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation. U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw, and the Maple Shade Police Department, under the direction of Chief Christopher Fletcher, for their assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa T. Wiygul of the Criminal Division in Camden.

Sentence: Imprisonment: 151 months on Count 1 of the Information; 60 months on Count 2 of the Information to be served consecutively to the term imposed on Count 1, resulting in a total sentence of 211 months. Supervised Release: 5 years on each of Counts 1 and 2 of the Information, to be served concurrently with one another and with special conditions. Fine: waived. Special Assessment: $200