Five Charged in NYC Fentanyl Ring Tied to Overdoses

Federal prosecutors and the DEA arrested and indicted five men — Grant McIver, Bruce Epperson, Eddie Barreto, John Nicolas and Roy Nicolas — tied to a counterfeit-pill distribution network that sold fentanyl-laced “M‑30”/“Perc 30” pills to teens and young adults across New York City and has been linked to at least nine overdoses. The deaths include 19-year-old Leandro Anthony De Niro‑Rodriguez (found July 2, 2023) and 19-year-old Akira Stein, daughter of Blondie co‑founder Chris Stein. The medical examiner ruled De Niro‑Rodriguez’s death accidental from a mix that included fentanyl and cocaine. Court filings and alleged dealer messages say the group marketed thousands of counterfeit pills via social media and encrypted apps using online handles and emojis, and continued to distribute known-dangerous batches after customers overdosed. The defendants are charged federally with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance resulting in death — an offense that carries a mandatory minimum sentence — and prosecutors allege the pills contained fentanyl and other dangerous substances. Authorities said the arrests are part of a broader probe into a Washington Square Park drug market; a sixth person, Sofia/Sophia Marks, was previously charged in connection with supplying pills to De Niro‑Rodriguez.