Suffolk Man Sold Fentanyl-Laced Cocaine That Led To Fatal Overdose: SCDA

BAY SHORE, NY — A man accused of selling fentanyl-laced cocaine that caused a fatal overdose was indicted, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced Wednesday.

Joseph Pittman, 44, of Bay Shore, also known as "Tank," was indicted on nearly two dozen charges. This is the second indictment in the past two weeks of someone accused of providing a lethal dose of fentanyl-laced cocaine to an unsuspecting cocaine user, Tierney said.

If convicted, he faces up to two to 12 years in prison.

"At the time of these alleged offenses, this defendant was on parole supervision for a felony
conviction involving the possession of narcotics," Tierney said in a news release. "Despite being on parole, he allegedly continued to sell fentanyl-laced cocaine, and one such sale sadly led to a fatal overdose. All drug users should be on notice that drug dealers cannot be trusted to give you a safe product. You are playing Russian roulette with your life."

A Great River resident was found dead of a fatal overdose in their bedroom by a friend last summer, the DA said. Suffolk police on Aug. 8 recovered the victim's cellphone, white powder, and a pocketknife containing powder residue, officials said. The powder tested positive as a mixture of cocaine and fentanyl, investigators said.

The victim's cellphone showed texts between them and a contact named "Tank" arranging for the purchase of narcotics, officials said.

An undercover Suffolk police detective contacted Pittman and arranged for the sale of narcotics on five separate occasions, authorities said. On each date, Pittman sold the detective cocaine, some of which was laced with fentanyl, prosecutors said.

Law enforcement seized cocaine and fentanyl, as well as two digital scales, while searching Pittman's home on Dec. 12, officials said. Pittman tried to destroy and discard narcotics by throwing them out the bathroom window while the search warrant was being executed, authorities said.

Pittman was arraigned on the following charges:

• Eight counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance (a class B felony).
• Ten counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (a class B felony).
• One count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (a class C felony).
• One count of tampering with evidence (a class E felony).
• One count of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (a class A misdemeanor).
• One count of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia (a class A misdemeanor).

Pittman was ordered held on $250,000 cash, $500,000 bond or $1 million partially secured bond. He is due back in court on April 17.

He is being represented by Harman Lutzer.

Pittman's indictment is the second case in Suffolk County in the past two weeks where someone died from a fentanyl overdose after purchasing what they believed was cocaine, Tierney said.

Last week, Nicholas Romano, 33, of Lindenhurst, was indicted after he sold fentanyl-laced cocaine that led to the fatal overdose of a Copiague man, the DA said.