Five arrested in NYC fentanyl ring tied to 3 teen overdose deaths

Five people were arrested and charged with distributing fentanyl that prosecutors say led to the 2023 overdose deaths of three 19-year-olds, including Akira Stein, the daughter of Blondie guitarist Chris Stein, and Leandro De Niro‑Rodriguez, the grandson of actor Robert De Niro. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced the arrests on Oct. 30, and federal and local prosecutors said the group operated a fentanyl distribution network in New York City that sold thousands of counterfeit pills to teenagers and young adults.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said investigators allege the defendants relied heavily on social media and encrypted messaging to target young drug users. Prosecutors have charged the suspects with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and related offenses, saying the pills were responsible for three fatal overdoses in 2023. A Homeland Security Investigations official said the defendants' actions left behind a "trail of irreversible loss" for the victims' families.

According to law enforcement accounts, 19-year-old Akira Stein died in late May 2023 after ingesting fentanyl-laced pills in her family’s downtown Manhattan apartment. Prosecutors say she had...