NJ man sentenced to 17+ years after admitting to 1-year-old's apparent overdose

A Burlington County man was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to multiple drug and firearm charges, and admitted to a 1-year-old’s apparent cocaine overdose, according to prosecutors.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, said in November 2025, Daniel Garcia Jr., 29, pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

“Drug trafficking fueled by firearms poisons our communities, and in this case nearly resulted in the death of a one-year-old child,” said U.S. Attorney Frazer. “The District of New Jersey will aggressively pursue traffickers who flood our neighborhoods with drugs, arm themselves to protect their profits, and put our most vulnerable lives at risk. We will hold them accountable under federal law.”

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, in June 2024, Garcia and another person rushed the 1-year-old to the hospital because the child was not breathing. The minor was also having seizures, drooling and was unresponsive.

Officials said the baby received lifesaving care at the hospital and was later flown to a children’s hospital. As part of their treatment, the 1-year-old’s urine was screened for controlled substances, and the tests returned positive results for benzodiazepine, fentanyl and cocaine.

According to prosecutors, medical personnel at the hospital told law enforcement that the child had been administered benzodiazepine and fentanyl during treatment, but that cocaine had not been administered. A doctor told law enforcement that the 1-year-old’s symptoms, including seizure, cardiac arrest and cardiac arrythmia, were all symptoms of cocaine overdose.

Officials said the child’s heart stopped twice when he was receiving medical care, but they were revived and survived.

According to prosecutors, while the victim was receiving care at the hospital, Garcia left and drove home. Surveillance video showed him 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 his home, and then driving the first car back to the hospital. 

The next day, law enforcement conducted 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.  

A day later, officers searched the car Garcia had parked across the parking lot and found the laundry bag, $150,000 cash, and thousands of grams in drugs, including methamphetamine and cocaine. They also found three loaded firearms.

In addition to his 211-month prison sentence, a federal judge also sentenced Garcia to two concurrent terms of five years of supervised release. 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.