HOLBROOK MAN INDICTED FOR SELLING FENTANYL THAT LED TO FATAL OVERDOSE

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the indictment of Jaquan Casserly, 34, of Holbrook, who is accused of selling fentanyl to a female from Lake Grove that resulted in her fatal overdose.

“Sadly, this is yet another example of an alleged drug dealer pushing poison onto our streets without any regard for the inevitably destructive and deadly consequences of such sales,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Our office is steadfast in its mission to investigate every overdose in Suffolk County and hold drug dealers accountable for selling illegal and deadly substances, especially fentanyl.”

According to the investigation, on August 18, 2022, Suffolk County Police Department officers responded to a residence in Lake Grove for an apparent drug overdose. The victim was found unresponsive in the bathroom by her mother. The victim was administered Narcan, which works to reverse the effects of fentanyl, and she regained a pulse. She was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where she ultimately passed away several days later as a result of the drug overdose.

On August 24, 2022, a cell phone belonging to the victim was turned over to police by her parents.

Using the phone, an undercover detective from the Suffolk County Police Department contacted Casserly and arranged for another sale of narcotics. Casserly, unaware of the victim’s condition, allegedly instructed the undercover detective to go to the same location where he sold fentanyl to the victim a week earlier. On August 25, 2022, while at the Holbrook Commons in Holbrook, Casserly allegedly sold the undercover detective a combination of heroin and fentanyl contained in a red glassine envelope.

On August 27, 2022, police executed a search warrant at Casserly’s Holbrook residence and recovered a combination of heroin and fentanyl, a digital scale used to weigh narcotics, red and black glassine/wax envelopes used to package narcotics, a pair of metal knuckles, and Casserly’s cell phone. The red envelopes were similar in appearance to the ones sold to the undercover detective two days prior. A search of Casserly’s phone allegedly showed that he made arrangements to meet the victim on August 17, 2022 at the Holbrook Commons offering to sell her a “fetty mix,” a street term used to describe a mix of fentanyl and heroin.

Casserly is charged with two counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class B felony; three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class B felony; Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree, a Class C felony; Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a Class D felony; and two counts of Criminal Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor.

On January 27, 2023, at his arraignment on the indictment, County Court Judge, the Honorable Steven A. Pilewski ordered Casserly held on $500,000 cash, $1 million bond or $5 million partially secured bond. Casserly is being represented by Christopher Gioe, Esq. His next court date is March 3, 2023.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Danielle Davis of the Narcotics Bureau.

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Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments.

Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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