Man Imprisoned For Ocean County Drug Overdose Death

BERKELEY – A Trenton man has been sentenced to seven years in prison after providing drugs that led to a man’s death, officials said.

Ryan Thompson, 35, previously pled guilty to Manslaughter in connection with the death of a 55-year-old man in Berkeley Township.

This sentence will be subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act, meaning that Thompson will be required to serve at least 85 percent of his prison sentence before he may be considered for parole eligibility.

Police were called to a Torrey Pines Drive home for an overdose on September 29, 2023. Authorities later discovered that Thompson, along with 38-year-old Michael Wormann of Toms River and 61-year-old Tina Martinez of Trenton, were involved in the distribution of fentanyl to the victim on September 28, 2023.

Wormann was charged with Distribution of Fentanyl, Possession of Less than One-Half Ounce of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute, and Possession of Fentanyl. He was taken into custody without incident at his home by Berkeley Township Police Officers, and released on a summons pending a future appearance in Ocean County Superior Court.

Martinez was charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl. She was taken into custody without incident at her home in Trenton, transported to New Jersey State Police Headquarters in Trenton, and released on a summons pending a future appearance in Ocean County Superior Court.

Thompson was likewise charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl. He turned himself in to Berkeley Township Police Headquarters on October 20, 2023, and was subsequently transported to the Ocean County Jail where he has remained since.

After receiving the toxicology analysis, officials confirmed the presence of fentanyl in the victim’s system.

On March 18, both Wormann and Martinez pled guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl; the State is recommending they be sentenced to 364 days in the Ocean County Jail as a condition of probation. Both Wormann and Martinez are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Rahill on June 7.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer commended Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke who handled the case on behalf of the State, and acknowledges the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, Berkeley Police, Berkeley Detective Bureau, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Trenton Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office, and Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office’s Victim Witness Unit, for their combined and collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation, ultimately resulting in Thompson’s guilty plea, and now his state prison sentence.