Man Charged In Connection With Recent Overdose Death Of Greenwich Resident: Feds

GREENWICH, CT — A New York man has been charged in connection with a recent overdose death of a Greenwich resident, according to an announcement from United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration Frank A. Tarentino.

Estherlyn Frias, 34, of the Bronx, N.Y., was charged with:

One count of conspiring to distribute narcotics resulting in death, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of possession with intent to distribute narcotics, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of possession with intent to distribute narcotics resulting in death, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

"As alleged, Estherlyn Frias has been pumping deadly drugs into our communities for years, including fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and more," said Clayton in a prepared statement.

"The drugs that he sold claimed someone’s life, and it appears they may have claimed others before. Shockingly, Frias appears to have stored his significant drug supply in an apartment where his two young children lived with him, mere feet away from where they slept," Clayton added. "Our communities’ suffering from this kind of personal profit ends now. As the charges in this case show, together with our law enforcement partners, we will relentlessly pursue those who distribute illegal drugs."

According to an an indictment, other court filings and statements made during court proceedings, from around January 2023 through July 2025, "Frias and others conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl, cocaine base, cocaine, heroin, and methadone," including from Frias' Bronx apartment, officials said.

Within about 12 hours of purchasing drugs from Frias in the Bronx, officials said a Greenwich man died from acute fentanyl and cocaine intoxication on July 1.

Frias, also known as "Platinum" and "Silver," had been selling drugs to the man for several weeks leading up to the man's death, officials said, noting text message exchanges between the two parties.

Authorities searched Frias' apartment on the night the Greenwich man died, officials said.

Officials said investigators found, among other things: 1,413 white glassine envelopes containing fentanyl; 603 purple glassine envelopes containing fentanyl; two plastic bags containing fentanyl; a third plastic bag containing fentanyl; 585 pink glassine envelopes containing para-fluorofentanyl; a plastic bag containing heroin; a second plastic bag containing heroin; two plastic bags containing crystal methamphetamine; a third plastic bag containing methamphetamine; 777 colored capsules containing crack cocaine; and 20 plastic bottles containing methadone.

Investigators also recovered various drug paraphernalia, including bulk packages of empty capsules, a digital scale, and a ledge summarizing Frias' drug deals, officials said.

Additionally, two videos recovered from Frias' phone showed Frias walking into his apartment bedroom to retrieve drugs, officials said.

"In both videos, Frias walks past a bed in which a young child can be seen asleep. And, in both videos, after passing the bed, Frias pans the camera to a dresser—mere feet from where his children slept—covered in drugs, cash, and drug paraphernalia, including, in one video, a digital scale on which a plastic bag containing a white substance is resting," officials said.

Clayton praised the investigative work of the DEA and Greenwich Police Department.

Tarentino called the Greenwich man's death "senseless."

"While today’s indictment against Mr. Frias will not bring back the person whose life was lost; it undoubtedly represents a step towards justice and likely saved countless others," Tarentino said in a prepared statement. "The DEA is committed to saving lives and will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners in targeting those responsible for poisoning our communities and destroying families."