Bayport Men Indicted For Supplying Fentanyl-Laced Pills That Led To Fatal Overdose: DA

RIVERSIDE, NY — A pair of Bayport men were indicted in connection with a 40-year-old woman’s fatal overdose from fentanyl-laced pills, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said Friday.

Anthony Trimboli, 34, was indicted for allegedly selling the fentanyl-laced pills, while his supplier, Matthew Familia was also indicted for illegally possessing a cache of counterfeit pills, drugs, ammunition feeding devices, and an unregistered assault weapon, prosecutors said.

Trimboli allegedly sold a 33-year-old man counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl out of his Bayport home in January, according to prosecutors.

After ingesting the pill that Trimboli allegedly sold him, the victim suffered an immediate overdose, prosecutors said, said, adding that although the victim survived, he suffered permanent physical impairment.

Trimboli allegedly sold counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit Xanax pills out of his home to a 40-year-old Centereach woman, and when she took them she suffered an immediate overdose, prosecutors said.

She was treated at Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was found to have a lethal level of fentanyl in her blood and later died at the hospital, never regaining consciousness, according to prosecutors.

Suffolk police department’s Narcotics Section conducted a long-term investigation into Trimboli, resulting in Trimboli allegedly selling counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax pills containing illicit substances such as fentanyl, cocaine, and clonazolam to undercover detectives, prosecutors said.

While clonazolam is not considered a controlled substance in the state, the Drug Enforcement Administration has labeled it as an imminent hazard to public safety, according to prosecutors.

During a search warrant executed at a home in Bayport that Trimboli and Familia shared, Trimboli was found with a cellular phone he allegedly used to distribute illicit substances, prosecutors said.

Familia, who is alleged to have supplied Trimboli with cocaine and counterfeit pills, was also allegedly found with a cache of counterfeit pills, cocaine, ketamine, packaging materials, scales, three high-capacity ammunition feeding devices, and an unregistered assault weapon, according to prosecutors.

Tierney said that his office “will not sit back and continue to watch as unsuspecting people” in Suffolk die from ingesting fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills.

“My office will continue to investigate these tragic deaths and work tirelessly to bring the dealers and their suppliers of these dangerous pills to justice,” he said. “I continue to urge New York State legislators to amend the current laws to increase the penalty for dealers who cause these preventable deaths and allow us to ask for bail on those selling deadly fentanyl.”

Trimboli was arraigned Aug. 23 on charges including four counts of third-degree criminal sale of controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, as well as three counts of fifth-degree attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance.

He was additionally charged with three counts of fifth-degree attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance.

On Friday, Familia was charged with one count of second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, as well as four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and three counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

He was additionally charged with two counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, as well as one count of fifth-degree attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance, and two counts of second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia.

Trimboli was ordered held on $300,000 cash, $600,000 bond, or $3 million partially-secured bond, and Familia was ordered held on $200,000 cash, $400,000 bond or $2 million partially secured bond.

Trimbioli's attorney, Katherine Fernandez of Uniondale, said he "adamantly denies the extent of the involvement the DA is alleging."

"He is also sympathetic for the victims and hopeful the truth as it pertains to him will play out in the end," she added.

Familia's attorney, Raymond Doyle of Bayport, could not be reached for comment.

Both Trimboli and Familia are due back in court on Sept. 28.