Belmar, NJ man indicted on charge of causing fatal drug overdose

🔴Joseph Amato was given Naloxone after overdosing inside a parked car in Belmar

🔴The medicine was unsuccessful in reversing in reviving him

🔴The man Amato was with had a literal pharmacy of illegal drugs in his home, cop say

BELMAR — A grand jury returned a 37-count indictment against a man charged in the fatal overdose of a man at his home in 2021.

Police were called to Third and River Avenues in Belmar on Jan. 2, 2021, on a report of someone overdosing in the front seat of his car.

Responding officers found a man, later identified as Robert M. Clayton, 39, crawling out of the car. He yelled at the officers to administer Narcan to the passenger, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said.

Officers administered the medication to the passenger identified as Joseph Amato who was reclining in the passenger seat and not breathing. Amato was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

An illegal drug store

An investigation determined that Amato used a "controlled dangerous substances" at Clayton's home. Police also found a large cache of drugs including:

• 919 Xanax pills
• 101 Carisoprodel pills
• 26 wax folds of heroin
• 2 bags of powder heroin
• 3 bags of MDMA (“Ecstasy”)
• 97 doses of LSD
• 1 bag of Crystal Meth
• 2 bags of Ketamine
• 111 Methadone pills
• 51 Adderall pills
• 62 Tramadol pills
• 2 vials of liquid Xanax
• 11 Oxycodone pills
• Numerous other small amounts of pills.

In addition to the drugs they also found drug paraphernalia including used hypodermic needles, vacuum-sealed packaging bags, hundreds of unused wax folds, 4 scales with CDS residue, 2 whipped-cream-dispensers, and 200 whippet canisters. In addition, 34 thumb memory drives were recovered, along with a computer and seven cellular phones.

Clayton was indicted on one count of second-degree manslaughter, along with two counts of second-degree possession of drugs with the intent to distribute, 12 counts of second-degree possession of drugs with the intent to distribute while on or within 500 feet of a public park, twelve counts of third-degree possession of drugs, and 10 counts of third-degree possession of drugs with intent to distribute.

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