Previously Published in The Messenger
One of this week’s stories covers a Selden man indicted for allegedly operating as a narcotics trafficker. He allegedly sold fentanyl to two East Patchogue brothers, one of whom overdosed, with the other miraculously surviving. Not only that, he allegedly possessed enough fentanyl to kill over 2 million people.
For reference, Suffolk County has a population of about 1.55 million. Our coverage area of Smithtown, Brookhaven, and Islip has about 950,000 residents.
But this isn’t just about what was stopped and just how many lives were potentially saved by the swift actions of the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) and the District Attorney’s Office. It’s about the cracks in the State’s system that quickly widen into chasms with cases like these.
This Selden case unfortunately dovetails perennial problems that are nearly impossible to remove either directly or indirectly from any Suffolk resident at this point. We have all either been affected by the epidemic or have known someone who was unfortunately claimed by drug dealers. While we recognize that substance abuse is a legitimate issue, we take care to note that some reckless drivers and repeat offenders are degenerate addicts who simply have no place in a civilized society.
We can blame the careless addicts and the money-hungry dealers all we want. The reality is, if our State Legislature was run by people with a modicum of realism, these instances can be dramatically decreased.
Let’s start with bail reform, the great punching bag of the saner parts of New York since its unfortunate passage in 2019. D.A. Ray Tierney (R) and company had to do significant legwork to indict the defendant with Operating as a Major Narcotics Trafficker. Thankfully, their efforts were not in vain, but only to ensure that he could be held on bail, as selling cocaine to an undercover office is curiously not a bail-eligible offense in the great state of New York.
That doesn’t undo the harm the defendant already allegedly committed, nor does it immediately remedy the fact that he allegedly had a warehouse of illicit substances and weapons in Selden, but that required legwork does make it invariably more difficult to get lesser defendants off the streets. Moreover, it makes pinning down alleged kingpins like the Selden man, who is facing 15 to life, much more cumbersome than it should be.
Innocent until proven guilty, of course, but any self-respecting Legislature shouldn’t impede these efforts.
Since 2023, Republicans in the New York State Legislature have regularly lobbied to get Chelsey’s Law passed. Named after Chelsey Murray, a Suffolk resident who overdosed from a fentanyl cocktail, the bill would charge dealers with manslaughter or aggravated manslaughter if they knowingly sell substances that are likely to result in a consumer’s death. Since then, more Democrats have climbed aboard. In 2025, Assemblymembers Jarret Gandolfo (R-Sayville), Joe DeStefano (R-Medford), Ketih Brown (R-Northport), Tommy John Schiavoni (D-North Haven), Rebecca Kassay (D-Port Jefferson), and Steven Stern (D-Dix Hills) were just some Suffolk delegates to co-sponsor this bill. Stern deserves the credit for bringing it to the floor and we commend all involved for recognizing a good idea when they see one.
Senator Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) is carrying the Senate version of the bill, followed by Senators Mario Mattera (R-St. James), Alexis Weik (R-Sayville), and Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue).
Why has Albany, led in trifecta form by Democrats, refused to bring this bill to a vote? Governor Kathy Hochul (D-Hamburg) can easily slip this bill into her bloated Executive Budgets, so why won’t she? It’s not a controversial law, and even if there is some legal gray area in terms of “knowingly” selling lethal substances, we’re not inclined to give drug dealers the benefit of the doubt, frankly.
Even so, those technicalities can be ironed out. In our view, there’s no excuse not to pass such a commonsense bill.
Finally, we arrive at Xylazine, a cattle sedative that has been appropriated by dealers to cut their products and inflate their profit margins, as well as enhance the effects of fentanyl and other opioids. Known as “tranq” on the streets, Xylazine’s usage by some folks would almost be comical — again, a cattle sedative — if the effects weren’t so bleak. Moreover, Xylazine’s overdose effects cannot be reversed by NARCAN.
Albany should absolutely make this drug illegal to possess. In Suffolk County, save for parts of the East End, if you come into contact with Xylazine, odds are it’s probably being used with opioids. We understand there could be some more red tape wrapped around its legitimate uses, but we don’t think that would be rocket surgery in ameliorating.
Governor Hochul and our Democratic legislature could take advantage of this extended budget season to present some commonsense changes that will fill cracks in the system and save lives.
Will they douse the furious cocktail, or will they light it ablaze and toss it to the suburbs?