Illegal Immigrant Gets 35 Years For Killing Hillsborough Woman, Burning Body

The illegal immigrant living in Hillsborough Township who pleaded guilty to killing a female co-worker and then burning her body to cover up the murder has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Juan Jimenez-Olivera, who admitted in August to being in the United States illegally, was sentenced to 30 years in jail without parole and an additional five years for disturbing, desecrating human remains, Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano announced.

On April 29, 2014, just after 8 a.m. police and fire personnel responded to a condo on Bloomingdale Drive in Hillsborough for a residential fire. Once inside the building, authorities found a dead woman, Sviatlana Dranko, 30, on the second floor. The fire was deemed suspicious at that point.

The investigation revealed Dranko was killed prior to the fire being set and leads brought up Jimenez-Olivera as the primary suspect, Soriano said.

Jimenez-Olivera was identified as the person responsible for sexually assaulting and murdering Dranko and intentionally setting the fire.

The possibility of deportation was considered in August but was not discussed at sentencing. Jimenez-Olivera pleaded guilty to murder, aggravated arson, disturbing, desecrating human remains, hindering apprehension, and tampering. Under the plea deal the charge of sexual assault was dropped.