A Holbrook man who ran a large-scale drug operation linked to two fatal fentanyl overdoses was sentenced to 53 years in prison.
The case against 55-year-old Russell Defreitas, also known as “Merc,” began in September 2022 when law enforcement responded to an overdose death in Holbrook. The investigation, led by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office East End Drug Task Force, revealed that Defreitas was part of a narcotics trafficking organization selling large quantities of crack cocaine and fentanyl across Suffolk County. Authorities said the group used loaded firearms to protect their operation.
On March 9, 2023, a man and woman overdosed in a hotel room rented by Defreitas. Prosecutors said Defreitas told his associates not to call 911 and removed drugs and other evidence from the room before leaving to eat at a nearby Wendy’s. Hours later, one of his associates was permitted to call for help, but both victims were already dead by the time first responders arrived.
Two days later, on March 11, 2023, Defreitas was arrested while staying in another hotel. Police executed search warrants on his room, a trailer he kept in Holbrook, and his drug-trafficking vehicle. Investigators recovered fentanyl, cocaine, two loaded firearms, drug packaging materials, cutting agents, digital scales, and multiple hotel room key cards. He was also found to be in possession of bank cards belonging to the overdose victims.
On May 18, 2023, Defreitas testified in court on his own behalf, but prosecutors later proved he lied repeatedly under oath, resulting in three counts of first-degree perjury.
Exactly two years after his arrest, on March 11, 2025, Defreitas was convicted by a jury of 92 charges, including Operating as a Major Drug Trafficker, multiple counts of criminal sale and possession of controlled substances, weapons offenses, tampering with evidence, and criminally using drug paraphernalia.
On April 29, 2025, Defreitas—who represented himself during the trial—was sentenced to 53 years in prison.
District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney praised the outcome but emphasized the need for legal reform to better hold drug dealers accountable for fatal overdoses.
“Today’s sentencing of this major trafficker, while significant, highlights the urgent need for stronger legislation,” Tierney said. “Chelsey’s Law would ensure that those who profit from dealing deadly substances face consequences proportionate to the devastation they cause in our communities.”