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Levar Jackson, age 44, and Jaclyn Misuraca, age 45, both of Islip Terrace, were arraigned on charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in Central Islip federal court on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
Prosecutors said the pair sold nearly 270 grams of the drug in public locations across Long Island between May 2023 and January 2024.
The drugs were allegedly sold in broad daylight, including in residential areas and outside of stores.
Several of the transactions took place right outside of the nursing home where Misuraca worked, prosecutors said.
Fentanyl is a powerful, synthetic opiate that is nearly 100 times more potent than morphine. The drug – of which just 2 milligrams can be fatal – has contributed to a sharp rise in overdose deaths across the United States over the past decade, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Prosecutors said several of the fentanyl doses sold by Jackson and Misuraca tested positive for xylazine, an animal tranquilizer that is similar to fentanyl in potency but cannot be treated with Narcan, a medication that can reverse overdoses.
Also known as “tranq” and the “zombie drug,” xylazine can cause users to blackout and can kill skin tissue by burning the flesh.
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