OCPO CONTINUES TO LEAD IN STRICT LIABILITY CHARGES AGAINST THOSE PROVIDING ILLEGAL NARCOTICS TO THOSE FIGHTING ADDICTION

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Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato and Berkeley Township Police Chief Karin DiMichele today announced the arrest of Cody Lessing, 25, of Bayville, NJ in connection with the drug induced deaths of James Tice Jr. and Keith Tandberg.

            “Prosecutor Coronato stated, “OCPO will continue to lead the way in developing Strict Liability/Drug Induced Death cases.  It’s critical during this opiate crisis we take strong punitive measures against dealers bringing death to those fighting addiction”.

Yesterday (5/15), Cody Lessing was charged with Strict Liability Drug Induced Death (2 counts), Manslaughter (2 counts), Possession with the Intent to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl (2 count), Possession of Heroin and Fentanyl (2 counts) and Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl (2 counts).  Lessing is currently incarcerated in the Ocean County Correctional Facility since February 25, 2018 on prior narcotic drug charges pertaining to same incident.

The above charges stem from the death investigation of James Tice Jr. and Keith Tandberg that occurred on February 25, 2018 in the Township of Berkeley.  On that date (2/25), the Berkeley Township Police Department responded to two separate 911 calls within seven hours of each other for unresponsive males within their jurisdiction.  Tandberg, 45, of Berkeley was found unresponsive and pronounced deceased just after midnight and Tice, 28, also of Berkeley was later found unresponsive and pronounced deceased in the early morning hours of the same day.

Berkeley Officers at both scenes, observing signs of a drug overdose, immediately, per the Prosecutor’s directive, contacted the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Major Crimes Unit and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Unit to respond.  The ensuing intensive investigation would ultimately lead back to Lessing and link him to both deaths.  An autopsy by the Ocean County Medical Examiner would confirm that Tandberg and Tice’s deaths were drug induced due to lethal doses of heroin combined with fentanyl.

Members of the Ocean County Prosecutors Office Major Crime Unit, Berkeley Township Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigation Unit conducted this investigation.  Ocean County Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Patrick Sheehan is the case prosecutor.  Continued next page…

The media and public are reminded that criminal charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.