EDISON – An Edison man was charged on April 20 with providing drugs that caused the death of another township man.
Emile “Oatmeal” Constable Jr., 25, was charged with one count of strict liability for allegedly selling drugs to Aniq Ali, 23, who subsequently died, according to a statement prepared by Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Chief Thomas Bryan of the Edison Police Department.
Constable was charged when toxicological testing showed that the victim died on Feb. 24, 2016, after ingesting heroin, officials said.
He was initially charged on Feb. 25 with distributing a controlled dangerous substance to Ali. He also had been charged with possession with intent to distribute in an unrelated case, one count of possession and one count of possession with intent to distribute.
The new charge was filed during an investigation by Detective Theodore Hamer of the Edison Police Department and Detective Wayne Canastra and Detective David Abromaitis, both of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
During the investigation, it was determined that Constable allegedly sold 10 bags of heroin to Ali. Each bag contained approximately one gram of heroin, according to the statement.
Carey said the drug-related death is a grim reminder of the dangers of heroin, the use of which has risen among young people in recent years.
“Addressing the heroin and opioid epidemic requires a two-pronged approach. First, we must provide education and effective treatment for those wrestling with addiction. Secondly, we must aggressively investigate and prosecute those responsible for the deaths of so many addicts in New Jersey.
“To protect our citizens, law enforcement must target those who selfishly profit from dealing drugs and are responsible for the violence and deaths which are part of the illegal drug trade,” he said.
Bail for Constable has been set at $100,000.
Anyone with information should call Hamer at 732-248-7400, Canastra at 732-745-3809 or Abromaitis at 732-745-4436.