A Queens Village man faces up to three decades in prison for allegedly dealing cocaine and deadly fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone in southeast Queens, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
Emendjer Mathurin, 31, of 112th Avenue, was indicted by a Queens grand jury and arraigned Oct. 18 before Queens Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino on a 13-count indictment charging him with criminal sale of a controlled substance for allegedly supplying a large amount of narcotics to an undercover officer between February and July, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Mathurin was taken into custody by detectives on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Utilizing surveillance and undercover buys, the DA’s Major Economic Crimes Bureau along with the NYPD’s Queens South Violent Crime Squad, conducted a lengthy investigation leading to Mathurin’s arrest. Katz said the investigation began by looking into the defendant’s activities as an alleged drug supplier. An undercover detective posing as a buyer initially met with Mathurin on Feb. 26, at which time the defendant allegedly sold to the undercover detective 123 oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl.
According to the charges, a total of 13 cash transactions took place between Feb. 26 and July 14, during which Mathurin sold 1,752 oxycodone pills and more than 10 ounces of cocaine.
Laboratory testing of the seized narcotics determined that each of the pills contain fentanyl, the deadly synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine.
Katz said that there have been 271 suspected fatal overdoses across the borough so far in 2022, an estimated 54% increase from the same time last year. An overwhelming majority of these deaths, approximately 77% have been attributed to fentanyl.
“Deadly narcotics back, especially lethal fentanyl, have caused death and destruction all across our nation,” Katz said. “While Queens County continues to experience an uptick in fatal overdoses, my office is fighting by relentlessly pursuing those who sell poison in our communities. Following an investigation conducted by my Major Economic Crimes Bureau and the New York City Police Department, this defendant has been apprehended and faces justice in our courts.”
Justice Cimino ordered Mathurin to return to court on Nov. 14. If convicted, Mathurin faces up to 30 years in prison.
“Today’s indictment illustrates that the work of the NYPD, with its law enforcement partners, is continuing every day to rid our city of illegal narcotics and to ensure that those who profit from the drug trade face real consequences,” NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said. “Fentanyl is deadly, period. It has taken too many lives, and we will never waver in our fight to make us all safer by removing it and other illegal drugs from our streets. I want to commend our brave NYPD officers and the Office of the Queens District Attorney for their exceptional work on this case.”
