Photo Courtesy of DEA
Fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills
By Forum Staff
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Tuesday that Emendjer Mathurin has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on charges of criminal sale of a controlled substance for allegedly supplying a large amount of narcotics, including cocaine and fentanyl, to an undercover officer between February and July.
District Attorney Katz said, “Deadly narcotics, especially lethal fentanyl, have caused death and destruction all across our nation. While Queens County continues to experience an uptick in fatal overdoses, my Office is fighting back by relentlessly pursuing those who sell poison in our communities. Following an investigation conducted by my Major Economic Crimes Bureau and the New York City Police Department, this defendant has been apprehended and faces justice in our courts.”
Mathurin, 31, of Queens Village, was arraigned Wednesday before Queens Supreme Court Judge Toni Cimino on a 13-count indictment charging him with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first, second, and third degrees. Judge Cimino ordered the defendant to return to Court on November 14, 2022. If convicted, Mathurin faces up to 30 years in prison.
Photo Courtesy of DEA
According to the charges, a total of 13 cash transactions took place between February 26 and July 14, during which Mathurin sold 1,752 Oxycodone pills and more than 10 ounces of cocaine (pictured).
Utilizing surveillance and undercover buys, the District Attorney’s Major Economic Crimes Bureau along with the NYPD’s Queens South Violent Crime Squad conducted a lengthy investigation leading to the arrest of the defendant.
Katz said the investigation began by looking into the activities of the defendant as an alleged drug supplier. An undercover detective posing as a “buyer” initially met with Mathurin on February 26, at which time the defendant allegedly sold to the undercover detective 123 Oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl.
According to the charges, a total of 13 cash transactions took place between February 26 and July 14, during which Mathurin sold 1,752 Oxycodone pills and more than 10 ounces of cocaine.
Upon laboratory testing of the seized narcotics, law enforcement officials discovered that each of the pills contained fentanyl.
Katz said that there have been 271 suspected fatal overdose cases across Queens so far in 2022, an estimated 54% increase from the same time last year. An overwhelming majority of these deaths, approximately 77%, have been attributed to fentanyl.
