Ex-drug dealer receives 25 years in slaying

A former Camden cocaine dealer was sentenced to more than 25 years in federal prison yesterday in the killing of one of his suppliers in 2006.

Moises Hernandez, 27, was sentenced to 330 months. In addition, he will have to pay a $7,000 fine and serve three years of supervised release after he completes the sentence.

Hernandez and several others dealt crack cocaine in Camden from May 2006 through July 2006, and Hernandez bought the drugs from Cesar Severino, 45, who also lived in Camden, authorities said.

In June 2006, Hernandez learned that a batch of crack supplied to him by Severino was of poor quality and had caused him to lose customers. When he went to Severino's house to address the problem, the two fought, Severino slapped Hernandez in the face, and an associate of Severino's went to get a gun. Hernandez shot Severino in the stomach, killing him.

Hernandez was arrested in July of that year, and he pleaded guilty in May to discharging a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime and to various drug charges.

- Allison Steele