New york man had enough fentanyl to kill 100,000 people

SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. — A West Babylon man was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday after being convicted of possessing a large quantity of fentanyl and a loaded firearm. Joshua Oltchick, 26, pleaded guilty to charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance and attempted criminal possession of a weapon, admitting to illegally possessing over 2,700 fentanyl pills and a semiautomatic pistol.

District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the sentencing, stating that the amount of fentanyl in Oltchick’s possession was enough to potentially cause over 115,000 fatal overdoses. “Every fentanyl pill that this armed prior felon intended to sell in Suffolk County is a potential fatal overdose,” Tierney said, adding that the arrest demonstrated effective police intervention.

On September 16, Suffolk County Police officers responded to reports of a man slumped over in a parked vehicle near the corner of 7th Avenue and 15th Street in West Babylon. Officers found Oltchick’s vehicle parked facing the wrong direction with its engine running. Upon approaching, police observed a loaded .380-caliber Beretta handgun on the driver’s seat between his legs.

Police turned off the engine and searched the vehicle, uncovering 8.25 ounces of fentanyl pills, along with cocaine and amphetamines, all packaged for street sales. Officers also seized drug packaging materials, scales, two cell phones, and over $3,000 in cash.

Oltchick’s guilty plea on October 2 led to his sentencing by Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven Pilewski. In addition to his prison term, Oltchick will serve five years of post-release supervision. He was represented by attorney David Adhami.

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