Bronx Man Found Guilty In Heroin Overdose

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced Tuesday that a Bronx man was found guilty in the death of a City Island man. Frankie Beqiraj, 28, of the Bronx, was found guilty yesterday of conspiracy to distribute heroin resulting in the death of Robert Vivolo, a 25-year-old man from City Island. Beqiraj was also convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, oxycodone and alprazolam.

A unanimous jury convicted Beqiraj after a five-day trial before United States District Judge Richard M. Berman.

“As proven at trial, Frankie Beqiraj peddled poison to the community of City Island and its vicinity, causing one of his many victims to die from a tragic overdose," Geoffery Berman. "The verdict should send a message to those who flood our community’s streets with lethal drugs. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute and convict criminals seeking to profit from the current public health crisis afflicting our city.”

According to court documents and the evidence at trial, from around July 2016 to around January 2017, Beqiraj was the principal drug supplier of the small Bronx community of City Island. Beqiraj employed workers, who were themselves heroin addicts supplied by Beqiraj, to deliver narcotics to his customers using prepaid phones that he supplied. These workers were paid their salaries in money and heroin. Through his organization, Beqiraj distributed heroin, cocaine, oxycodone and alprazolam.

On October 21, 2016, Beqiraj sold heroin to Robert Vivolo, a recovering heroin addict, on City Island. Beqiraj’s heroin caused Vivolo to die from an overdose that night, authorities said.

Beqiraj faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of 20 years in prison.

Geoffrey Berman praised the outstanding work of the New York City Police Department’s Bronx Narcotics Heroin Overdose Team, the New Rochelle Police Department and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

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