Authorities seized carfentanil for the first time in Suffolk County on October 3, following a seven-month narcotics investigation. Carfentanil, a lethal synthetic opioid used for tranquilizing elephants, is 10,000 times as powerful as morphine and 100 times as powerful as fentanyl. Three people, John Sims, Tyeisha Kisswani, and Robert Day, were indicted for charges, including the selling of carfentanil, and another person, Adrian Spooner, was charged with selling cocaine.
The investigation revealed that the four suspects had been repeatedly selling large quantities of carfentanil, fentanyl, and cocaine, according to the New York Post. They each received charges of drug sale and possession. Sims, Kisswani, and Day additionally face charges of conspiracy.
After police reportedly discovered a loaded .357 revolver and a high-capacity magazine, Sims was also charged with two charges of weapon possession. Following his arraignment on September 30, Sims was remanded and will remain in jail until trial. If convicted, he may be in prison for up to 25 years. Kisswani faces the same sentence as Sims. However, she was not held in custody as her charges weren’t eligible for bail, according to Tierney. She will face trial on November 13. Both Sims and Kisswani live in Freeport.
Reportedly, Spooner sold cocaine several times in the first half of the year. Nonetheless, he was released after posting a bond mandated by the court. The Bayshore resident could sustain 14 years in prison. His trial will be held on November 6. In an email, Robert Macedonio, Spooner’s lawyer, stated, “We have entered a plea of not guilty and look forward to reviewing all the discovery and vigorously defending Mr. Spooner in the courtroom.” As of October 6, Day, from Hempstead, remains a fugitive. Police request that people who know him contact the Suffolk County Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. In July, Sims and Day sold a total amount of over an ounce of fentanyl. Moreover, Sims and Kisswani reportedly sold cocaine multiple times between January and June. Sims sold carfentanil to an undercover officer two months ago as well.
Carfentanil, known on the street as “Super Mario,” can be deadly even in doses as minuscule as two milligrams. On Long Island and in Central New York State, a public health alert has been issued. Steve Chassman, the executive director of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence, stated, “The drug supply here on Long Island and across New York State is tainted with this extremely lethal drug.” Carfentanil has already struck New York City. It killed seven people in the first half of the year alone. Authorities have detected several samples of illegal drugs taken from the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan containing traces of carfentanil. According to the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s office, authorities have made around 35 busts involving the drug from November 2023 to May 2024 as well.
