BRENTWOOD, N.H. — The father of a toddler who fatally overdosed at a Londonderry truck stop in 2020 was sentenced to eight to 20 years in New Hampshire State Prison on a negligent homicide charge for his role in his daughter’s death.
Mark Geremia, 35, of Northfield, pleaded guilty to three felony charges of negligent homicide, falsifying physical evidence and conspiracy to falsifying physical evidence in Rockingham County Superior Court on Thursday.
The falsifying physical evidence charges carry 3- to 7-year sentence terms which will be served consecutively and suspended.
Geremia received additional 12-month sentence for two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and stealing property.
On Nov. 16, 2020, 21-month-old A.G., known in court documents and proceedings due to age, died from ingesting fentanyl when she was left unsupervised in the front seat of a truck with three sleeping adults who had been actively using drugs in the vehicle.
Geremia, along with A.G.’s mother Shawna Cote and Dana Dolan, a friend, had been using drugs since the previous day when they drove from the Lakes Region to Lawrence to buy and trade an ATV for heroin.
On their way home, the three individuals, along with Geremia and Cote’s two daughters, stopped at the RMZ Truck Stop in Londonderry.
Nearly three years have passed since A.G’.’s death.
At the sentencing hearing, Melody Nugent, Geremia’s mother, described every day as a struggle to wrap her head around what happened and the loss of her granddaughter.
Geremia wept as Victim Advocate Kate Winter read an impact statement provided by Nugent who sat in the courtroom.
“The pain is still so real and so raw,” her statement read.
She described her granddaughter as a bright blue-eyed girl with chubby cheeks who was “so full of life” and loved to go on the swings.
“’A.G.’ was one of the brightest lights in my life,” the statement went on.
Nugent had read an impact statement during Dolan’s sentencing, sayng she believed he deserved a greater punishment for his role. For her son, she said she agreed and disagreed with different elements of the plea deal.
“I am worried about my son,” Winter read. “I wish M.G. well and hope he moves forward from this.”
Geremia has a criminal record and a history of substance abuse and negligence. A.G. had wasting syndrome when she died, state prosecutor Kristin Vartanian.
The state attorney told Judge David Ruoff that Geremia’s actions during the incident were not only negligent, but deplorable.
She said Geremia told first responders he didn’t know what had happened when they arrived on scene. She emphasized the three adults were actively doing drugs in a confinement space with two young children present.
As the state continued to make its case for his sentence terms, Vartanian described how the father chose to light up a cigarette as everything was taking place. A witness saw him stop administering CPR to smoke, according to court documents.
“These actions may have only taken seconds, but they are seconds that could have saved her life,” Vartanian said.
Ruoff reviewed the other two cases and accepted Geremia’s plea.
“I just shake my head,” Ruoff said. “It’s tragic all the way around.”
“This case angers the whole community,” Ruoff added.
He mentioned the impact it has had on the first responders who found the dead child in the truck.
“I can’t imagine sitting there knowing you contributed to the death of her,” Ruoff told Geremia and added A.G.’s death was a direct consequence of not getting help for substance abuse.
He described Geremia’s “self-protecting mode” and his actions when he found his child unresponsive.
“I don’t think you are an evil person or monster,” Ruoff addressed Geremia. “ But your reaction to the scenario was telling.”