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Fernando Cooper, age 21, of Ronkonkoma, is charged with conspiring to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl in Suffolk County, according to an indictment unsealed in federal court in Central Islip.
Prosecutors said Cooper, also known as “Pablo,” sold and possessed with the intention of selling more than 500 counterfeit opioid pills that contained approximately 56 grams of fentanyl between December 2021 and July 2022.
They were made to look like Percocet and oxycodone pills, which are highly sought by opioid addicts, prosecutors said.
In July 2022, Cooper allegedly sold roughly 220 counterfeit opioid pills containing fentanyl to another person in Bohemia.
Days later, after he fled from police during a traffic stop and hid in a Central Islip backyard, Cooper was found to be carrying 119 counterfeit opioid pills with fentanyl, according to prosecutors.
After obtaining a search warrant to access his cell phone, investigators discovered that Cooper was a member of the Hit Squad street gang and that he worked with others to sell fentanyl contained in counterfeit or “pressed” opioid pills in Suffolk County.
Fentanyl is a powerful, synthetic opioid that is 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine. Experts say it’s often added to other drugs, leading to a spike in overdose deaths across the United States.
“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,” US Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement.
Cooper, who is already in custody on state drug charges, was expected to be arraigned Friday, Oct. 14, in US District Court in Central Islip.
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