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Randheer Shewprashad, age 25, of Patchogue, pleaded guilty to drug and weapons charges in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, Jan. 18.
Prosecutors said Shewprashad was first arrested in May 2023 after he sold fentanyl and cocaine to undercover officers on two different occasions between March and April 2023.
When the Suffolk County Police Department executed a search warrant at his Patchogue home, they reportedly found cocaine and fentanyl, as well as two semi-automatic handguns.
In June 2023, Shewprashad pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a weapon in exchange for five years in prison.
It was while awaiting sentencing on those convictions that prosecutors said Shewprashad was again busted selling drugs to undercover officers.
Members of the Suffolk County Police department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) purchased cocaine and fentanyl from him on three different occasions between October and November 2023.
He was again arrested in November, after which police found another semi-automatic firearm at his Mastic residence. A search of his Patchogue home turned up more cocaine and fentanyl.
Officers also found him in possession of xylazine, an animal tranquilizer that is increasingly found in overdose deaths, according to prosecutors. State lawmakers are currently considering legislation that would deem the drug a controlled substance.
On Thursday, Jan. 18, Shewprashad pleaded guilty to criminal sale of a controlled substance, a felony, in exchange for five years in prison.
“This case again highlights the inherently dangerous nature of the illicit drug world, where dealers brazenly carry weapons to ensure protection of themselves, their proceeds, and their product,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.
The sentences for the two cases will run consecutively for a total of 10 years behind bars. Shewprashad will also have to complete eight years of parole.
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