Brade
Russell Defreitas, a 55-year-old resident of Holbrook, New York, has been sentenced to 53 years in prison following his conviction on charges related to a large-scale drug trafficking operation. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office announced the sentencing on Tuesday, detailing Defreitas’s role in a cocaine and fentanyl distribution network that led to the deaths of two individuals from fentanyl overdoses.
The tragic incident occurred on May 9, 2023, when two victims, a man and a woman, overdosed in a hotel room registered in Defreitas’s name. According to prosecutors, when the woman overdosed, Defreitas instructed his associates not to call emergency services before removing drugs and evidence from the scene. He then left to eat at a nearby Wendy’s restaurant. Hours later, he allowed a call to 911, but both victims had already succumbed to the overdose by the time help arrived.
Defreitas was arrested two days later following raids on his trailer and hotel room, where authorities uncovered critical evidence, including cocaine, fentanyl, loaded firearms, drug packaging materials, and hotel room key cards. During his arrest, he was also found in possession of bank cards belonging to the overdose victims.
In court, Defreitas represented himself without legal counsel. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney emphasized the need for stronger legislation, citing the case as a stark example of the limitations of current laws. Tierney endorsed “Chelsey’s Law,” a proposed bill aimed at holding drug dealers accountable for deaths caused by their products.
“Chelsey’s Law would ensure that those who profit from dealing deadly substances face consequences proportional to the devastation they inflict on our communities,” Tierney stated.
Source: Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Fox News Digital
