NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A 35-year-old Long Island man was sentenced to 198 months in prison Tuesday for possessing and selling heroin and fentanyl, including supplying the drugs that caused a 21-year-old woman to fatally overdose, authorities said.
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The West Babylon man, Donta Riddick, sold the fatal dosage of fentanyl-laced heroin to the victim on September 13, 2020, court documents show.
Police were able to access text messages from the victim’s cell phone after she was found dead in a motel room the morning after buying the drugs. Investigators found text messages between her and Riddick where she seemed to be ordering heroin from him, officials said.
Riddick was arrested on September 15, 2020 after a DEA investigation. At the time of his arrest, Riddick had street-level quantities of the same fentanyl-laced heroin that caused the victim’s death the day before, according to authorities.
“Drug investigations like this underscore the devastating impact that every drug overdose and poisoning has on a family,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said. “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug to ever hit our streets and responsible for nearly 70% of nationwide drug-related deaths. DEA and our law enforcement partners are doubling down on defeating drug trafficking networks and bringing to justice those responsible for taking lives.”
Riddick previously pleaded guilty to the charges in January. The victim’s aunt spoke at his sentencing hearing, describing the traumatic impact of losing her niece to an overdose.
“The sentencing of defendant Donta Riddick to 16.5 years in prison will hopefully bring some closure for the victim’s family, as this drug dealer will not be back on the streets of Nassau County,” said Nassau County Police Department Commissioner Ryder. “ The defendant was found guilty of dealing drugs laced with fentanyl to our residents and caused the death of a 21-year-old female victim from Massapequa. Defendant Riddick infected our neighborhoods with these illegal drugs until his arrest, conviction and sentencing and I would like extend my appreciation to the investigators and their agencies for a job well done."
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