LONDONDERRY — A man whose 21-month-old daughter died of fentanyl intoxication while he was using drugs admitted guilt to several charges Wednesday, including negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of a child.
In a tragic incident from November 2020, Londonderry police responded to a truck stop call and found the unresponsive toddler.
Mark Geremia initially claimed ignorance of what had happened, stating his daughter had no medical issues.
However, after learning of his daughter’s death, Geremia revealed to police that he, the child’s mother, and another individual had been using drugs in the car and attempted to administer naloxone to the girl, suspecting she might have ingested some of the substances.
Witnesses reported seeing Geremia discard items and take breaks from performing CPR on his daughter to smoke a cigarette.
During the court hearing, Geremia’s attorney stated that his client is accepting responsibility for the events leading to his daughter’s death.
The prosecution noted Geremia’s criminal history, which Judge David Ruoff commented was reflective of individuals struggling with substance use disorder.
Ruoff expressed remorse that Geremia had not received the necessary help to prevent such a tragedy, directly linking the child’s death to her father’s substance use.
The plea agreement was accepted by the judge, resulting in Geremia facing a prison sentence ranging from a minimum of eight years to a maximum of 20 years.
