Suspected Drug Dealer Charged in Overdose Death of Brick Man, 38

Christopher T. Marsillo, 28, of Lacey (Photo: Ocean County Jail)

A Lacey Township man was charged Tuesday in the January heroin overdose death of a Brick Township man.

Christopher T. Marsillo, 28, has been charged in the Jan. 24 death of Gerard Bornemann, 38.

Marsillo is facing charges of strict liability for a drug induced death, reckless manslaughter, distribution of heroin, possession of heroin and possession with the intent to distribute, according to Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.

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The charges stem from an incident Jan. 24 at 5:17 p.m., when the Brick Township Police Department received a 911 call reporting an unresponsive male at a Drum Point Road residence, Della Fave said. Ptl. Harry Thiebault found the victim lying on the bedroom floor. According to Della Fave, Thiebault attempted life saving measures, including the administration of Narcan, but was unable to revive the victim. Bornemann was pronounced dead at 6 p.m.

Investigators from the Brick Township Police Department, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Major Crimes Unit and Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI immediately processed the scene, collecting all evidence of narcotic activity and isolating evidence that would possibly lead to the dealer responsible for selling Bornemann an illegal narcotic. The following day, a postmortem examination was conducted at the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office which concluded that Borneman’s death was drug induced, specifically caused by heroin.

The investigation revealed that Marsillo allegedly met with the victim earlier on Jan. 24, selling him the heroin that would lead to his death.

On March 9, Brick Police Detective Joseph Lescowski and Ocean County Prosecutor’s Major Crimes Unit Detective John Carroll, after meeting with Marsillo at his place of employment, brought him back to Lacey Township Police Department to continue the investigation. Marsillo was subsequently placed under arrest at that location on the above charges and sent to the Ocean County Jail in lieu of bail.

The prosecutor’s office, under Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato, has conducted 18 drug-induced death investigations. Coronato, who was appointed in March 2013, was one of the first prosecutors in New Jersey to use the statute, which holds drug dealers responsible for the deaths of their customers.