LI man charged with selling drugs in fatal overdose

A Central Islip man was arrested and arraigned on 31 charges, including possessing fentanyl and other drugs with the intent to sell them, after an investigation into the fatal overdose of a 25-year-old man to whom he allegedly sold narcotics, Suffolk officials said.

Text messages and surveillance footage obtained from a convenience store allegedly indicate Jeffrey Sloan, 62, sold drugs to a Brentwood resident who died of an overdose, according to a news release from Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.

An investigation into Sloan began after Suffolk police responded to the scene of a fatal drug overdose at a Brentwood residence on Feb. 6, according to the release. Police recovered nine envelopes that contained a residue from a mixture of drugs, including cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and ketamine, plus a pill containing Xanax and the deceased man’s cell phone.

Text messages on the phone indicated that he arranged to meet Sloan at the the 7-Eleven on Crooked Hill Road in Brentwood on Feb. 4, according to Tierney’s office. The two men negotiated a sale of 13 bags of heroin and a single Xanax pill for $140.

A review of surveillance footage obtained at that convenience store depicted the man withdrawing cash at an ATM machine before Sloan arrived and allegedly engaged in what appeared as “a hand-to-hand narcotics transaction,” according to the release from Tierney’s office.

The Suffolk County Medical Examiner found cocaine, fentanyl, fentanyl-related synthetic opioids, heroin and ketamine during an autopsy of the man’s body and deemed “a mixed drug intoxication” the cause of death, Tierney’s office said.

Suffolk county police executed a search warrant to search Sloan’s residence, camper and trio of vehicles on Feb. 19, Tierney said. The search allegedly revealed “over 16 ounces of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin, over half an ounce of cocaine, over 100 assorted pills, including Xanax and oxycodone, numerous cellular telephones, a ledger detailing narcotics transactions, and drug paraphernalia, including digital scales, glassine envelopes, cutting agents, gloves and masks.”

Rashad Sloan, 33, was also present at the Central Islip residence as law enforcement conducted the search, Tierney said. Upon searching his bedroom, police allegedly found “a pistol, a high-capacity magazine, a quantity of cocaine, a digital scale, drug packaging material and cash,” according to the release.

Officials did not reveal any relation between the two men, who were arrested that same day, according to court documents.

On Monday, Jeffrey Sloan pleaded not guilty in Suffolk County Court to first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, 13 counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, two counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, six counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and five counts of second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia, according to Tierney’s office.

Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard I. Horowitz ordered him remanded during the pendency of the case, and he is scheduled to return to court on March 27. His defense attorney, Adeline Arvelo, could not be immediately reached late Tuesday.

Also on Monday, Rashad Sloan pleaded not guilty to two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm and two counts of second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia, according to Tierney’s office. Horowitz ordered him held on $100,000 cash, $200,000 bond or $500,000 partially secured bond, and he is slated to appear in court on April 3. His defense attorney, Raymond Perini, could not be immediately reached late Tuesday.

In a statement Tuesday, Tierney said he will continue to advocate for new legislation that allows prosecutors to seek homicide charges against drug dealers who sell to victims of fatal overdoses.

“I have said it time and time again: we will not tolerate the sale of these poisons in Suffolk County,” Tierney said in the statement.