Drug dealer convicted in heroin OD death in Burlco

A Camden drug dealer was found guilty by a Burlington County jury Tuesday of causing the overdose death of a 35-year-old man last year, prosecutors said.

Jose LaPorte, 25, sold heroin to Sung Han, who fatally overdosed from the drug on April 14 in his Burlington Township home. LaPorte was arrested two days later in Burlington Township in possession of heroin.

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said he would continue to pursue "purveyors of poison" peddling lethal drugs.

"With over 130 deaths in our county in 2017, law enforcement will be putting an even greater emphasis on investigating fatal overdoses as potential crime scenes and we will pursue prosecutions under the strict liability, drug-induced-death homicide statute whenever the evidence supports it," Coffina said in a statement.

The jury deliberated for three days before finding LaPorte guilty of first-degree strict liability for drug-induced death and related offenses. Superior Court Judge Jeanne T. Covert scheduled LaPorte's sentencing for Mar. 23.