The Ripple Effect of a Fatal Dose: A Seller's Sentence, a Family's Loss

There's a quiet kind of sorrow that settles over a courtroom, a palpable weight, when a life — tragically cut short — is laid bare. And in Bergen County, New Jersey, that heavy silence recently descended as David DePinho, a 31-year-old from North Bergen, faced the stark consequences of his actions. He was, to put it plainly, sent to state prison for seven years, a direct result of distributing a fatal dose of fentanyl, a drug that continues to rip through communities with relentless brutality.

You know, it’s not just a number, that "seven years." It's a chunk of a man's life, mandated to be served behind bars, specifically 85% of it before even thinking about parole. And even after that, should he be released, another five years of parole supervision will hover over him. It’s a stringent sentence, certainly, but one that, for many, perhaps rightly, reflects the gravity of what happened here.

The life lost? Frank Degennaro Jr. It was his name that echoed through the proceedings, his memory that framed the court’s decision. Degennaro, just 30 years old, died from acute fentanyl intoxication on a cold February day in 2021. And DePinho, acknowledging his role in this heartbreaking tragedy, ultimately pleaded guilty to what the law calls strict liability for a drug-induced death. It’s a charge that, in truth, underscores a terrible truth: when you deal in these substances, the responsibility for the outcome, however unintended, often falls squarely on your shoulders.

This all unfolded in River Edge, a place that, like so many towns across our state and nation, grapples with the insidious reach of the opioid crisis. The date was February 2, 2021. A transaction, one could assume, took place; a dose was distributed. And then, the unspeakable happened. Degennaro's passing wasn't just a statistic; it was a son, a friend, a person with a future, gone.

The investigation, a painstaking process, was spearheaded by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, with significant assistance from the River Edge Police Department and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Prosecutor Mark McKelvey, whose office undoubtedly sees far too many cases like this, took a moment, as prosecutors often do, to commend these dedicated agencies. It’s a testament, really, to the collaborative effort required to navigate these complex, often emotionally draining, investigations.

Ultimately, this case serves as a somber, perhaps even chilling, reminder of the sheer danger lurking within the illicit drug trade. The consequence, as David DePinho now faces, is not merely legal; it's deeply, profoundly human. And the ripple effect? Well, that extends far beyond the courtroom, touching families, communities, and leaving an indelible mark that time, perhaps, can only slightly soften.