LI Man Indicted For Distributing Fetanyl, Led To Death: US Atty.

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — A two-count indictment was unsealed on Thursday charging a Lynbrook man with distributing fentanyl that led to the death of a man, prosecutors announced.

Ryan Mueller, 32, is also charged with conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine and oxycodone.

"As alleged, the defendant purposely disguised fentanyl to look like prescription drugs and
sold them to unsuspecting customers, leading to the poisoning death of a Long Island resident," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said. "The defendant’s callous disregard for human life in pushing
deadly drugs on to the streets of Long Island concealed as prescription drugs has contributed to the alarming opioid epidemic that has continued to harm communities in this district."

According to court filings, over the last several years, Mueller conspired with others
to sell several controlled substances, including heroin, cocaine, oxycodone, and fentanyl. The
investigation revealed that in December 2022, a 49-year-old man individual died of a
drug-related overdose at his residence in Elmont.

The fentanyl that killed the victim was in a pressed pill that made it appear to be oxycodone, which was sold to the victim by Mueller, prosecutors said.

Officers recovered several kilos of fentanyl from Mueller's home. Law enforcement also recovered multiple pill press parts from another location controlled by Mueller, including powder dryers, blenders, and grinders, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

"Fentanyl is a lethal drug that dealers mix into their product knowing the harmful effects it presents to those using it, including death,” stated DEA New York Division Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. "We will continue to bring those responsible for this deadly distribution to justice."

If convicted on the charges in the indictment, Mueller faces a statutory mandatory
minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison.