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West Babylon resident Donta Riddick, age 35, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of heroin with intent to distribute, while admitting to selling the drugs that killed a Massapequa woman in Nassau County in 2020.
As part of the plea, Riddick agreed to serve 16.5 years (198 months) in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
“Today, (Riddick) admitted to trafficking heroin laced with fentanyl that caused the overdose death of a young woman on Long Island,” US Attorney Breon Peace said. “The opioid epidemic and the tragic overdose deaths of so many have had a devastating impact on our communities.”
On Sept. 13, 2020, Peace said that Riddick sold fentanyl-laced heroin to the victim, who suffered a fatal overdose at a motel in Massapequa the following morning.
A review of the victim’s cell phone by law enforcement revealed text messages she exchanged with Riddick in which she appeared to be ordering heroin from him.
On Sept. 15, 2020, during the subsequent investigation by the DEA and Nassau County Police Department, Riddick was arrested in possession of street-level quantities of the same fentanyl-laced heroin that had caused the death of the victim the day before, Peace said.
“The facts of the case clearly demonstrate fentanyl’s lethal nature,” acting DEA acting Special Agent-in-Charge Timothy Foley stated. Today’s guilty plea culminates one of many DEA investigations targeting drug trafficking rings whose illegal actions contribute to the rising drug-related overdose rates.”
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant US Attorneys Charles N. Rose and Samantha Alessi are in charge of the prosecution.
“Donta Riddick did intentionally sell illegal drugs to a young woman who ultimately passed from an overdose of those drugs which were laced with deadly fentanyl,” Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said. "The multi-agency investigation led to the arrest of the defendant which removes a dangerous drug dealer from our communities.”
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