SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — A Somerset County man, Thomas Kane Miller, 40, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for distributing fentanyl and heroin that led to a fatal overdose in Plainfield, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. This is the first prosecution under the District of New Jersey’s newly established Fentanyl Precursor Interception Strike Force.
Miller faces several felony charges, including possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and a fentanyl precursor (4-ANPP), distribution resulting in death, and additional counts of distribution. He is set for an initial court appearance on June 30, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton.
The charges stem from an October 2022 overdose death in Plainfield. Investigators found the victim with two wax folds stamped with a unique mark, later confirmed to contain fentanyl and heroin. Evidence shows communication between Miller and the victim indicating a planned drug transaction.
Authorities also linked Miller to similar stamped wax folds containing fentanyl, heroin, and a fentanyl precursor found in his possession approximately ten days before the fatal overdose. Miller is further accused of distributing these substances on two occasions in December 2022 and January 2023 across Middlesex and Somerset Counties.
If convicted of distribution resulting in death, Miller faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years to life imprisonment and fines up to $1 million. Other charges carry penalties of up to 20 years and similar fines.
This case is part of a wider effort by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force, which includes the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and county prosecutors from Somerset and Middlesex. The Strike Force targets major narcotics trafficking networks.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano is prosecuting the case. Miller is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
