POUGHKEEPSIE – A 41-year-old Wappingers Falls man pleaded guilty in Dutchess County Court on Thursday to criminally negligent homicide for the 2020 death of his 10-month-old daughter. Thomas Martinez admitted to Judge Jessica Segal that his negligence allowed his young child to be exposed to fentanyl, which led to her death from acute fentanyl toxicity. The maximum sentence for the charge is four years in prison.
On November 9, 2020, at his home at 11 Creekview Court in Wappingers Falls, Martinez allowed his child to be exposed to fentanyl, which, according to prosecutors, is a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would have demonstrated in the same situation.
This is the second instance where a child in Dutchess County died from fentanyl exposure, and the previous district attorney decided not to prosecute the offender, citing a lack of evidence. When Anthony Parisi took office, he reopened the homicide investigations, resulting in convictions. This case was investigated by the New York State Police.
District Attorney Anthony Parisi stated, “This is a heartbreaking and deeply disturbing case involving the preventable death of an innocent child. The defendant admitted that his reckless and negligent conduct created the circumstances that led to a 10-month-old child being exposed to fentanyl and ultimately losing her life.” He also said, “Fentanyl continues to devastate families and communities, and this case underscores the tragic and deadly consequences that can result when dangerous narcotics are present around children. I commend the New York State Police, as well as Senior Assistant District Attorney Chelsy Jones and Unit Chief Pamela Bloomfield, for their diligent work in securing accountability in this tragic matter.”
County Court Judge Jessica Segal remanded Martinez to the Dutchess County Jail to await his June 26, 2026, sentencing.
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