A New York man has been indicted for fentanyl pill conspiracy.
Fernando “Pablo” Cooper, of Ronkonkoma, was indicted Oct. 13 in federal court in Central Islip, N.Y., on charges that he conspired to distribute and possess more than 40 grams of fentanyl in counterfeit opioid pills, a news release said. He was charged with intent to distribute the fentanyl in Suffolk County, N.Y.
“As alleged, Cooper manipulatively sold and marketed counterfeit opioid pills laced with fentanyl, a dangerous narcotic that is responsible for many deaths in Suffolk County,” Breon Peace, U. S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in the release. “Opioid addiction and fatal drug overdoses remain a significant threat to our communities and this office is working closely with our law enforcement partners to protect the public by prosecuting fentanyl traffickers who callously conceal that deadly drug in counterfeit pills that could easily kill unsuspecting users.”
Cooper, who has been in custody on state fentanyl charges, was to be arraigned Oct. 13 before U. S. Magistrate Judge Arlene Lindsay, the release reported. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
Drug dealers put financial gain over human life by pushing products without caring about the dangerous substances in them, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the FBI New York Field Office Michael Driscoll said in the release.
“We allege Cooper sold pills he knew were laced with fentanyl, which is responsible for the spike in overdose deaths here and across the nation,” Driscoll said, according to the release. “These dealers will be held accountable for the carnage they are leaving behind.”
The indictment against Cooper “should strike fear into the heart of anyone who considers buying opioids in any form on the black market,” Suffolk County Police Department Commissioner Rodney Harrison said in the release.
“I am proud of the men and women of the Suffolk County Police Department and our partner agencies for their tireless work in this case," Harrison said in the release. "We will continue to take aggressive action to hold dangerous drug dealers, like this individual who was peddling counterfeit opioid pills, accountable as we work to curb this ongoing scourge in our communities.”
