Police vehicle during investigation - file photo — Police vehicle during investigation - File Photo

Mineola, NY — A Westbury man who admitted selling fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and other narcotics has pleaded guilty after investigators uncovered a cache of drugs, explosive materials, and a powerful synthetic opioid inside his home, Nassau County prosecutors announced.

Anthony Gianatiempo, 34, pleaded guilty June 2 before Nassau County Judge Caryn Fink to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the First Degree, according to Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly.

The plea stems from a long-term investigation that culminated in the discovery of large quantities of narcotics and explosive components at Gianatiempo’s residence on Cantiague Lane in Westbury.

Drug Sale Led Investigators to Larger Operation

Prosecutors said the case began on June 18, 2025, when Gianatiempo allegedly traveled by electric bicycle from his Westbury home to Cantiague Park to conduct a drug sale.

For $820, he sold multiple narcotics, including substances later determined to contain heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, ketamine, alprazolam, and xylazine, according to the district attorney’s office.

Among the substances recovered was a mixture containing fentanyl and xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer commonly known as “tranq” that has become increasingly associated with overdose deaths across the United States.

Authorities said the sale provided investigators with evidence that ultimately led to a search warrant for Gianatiempo’s residence.

Search Uncovered Drugs, Explosives, and Nitazene

On August 5, 2025, investigators from the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Nassau County Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at the Westbury home.

The search uncovered:

63 grams of heroin
39 grams of fentanyl
69 grams of methamphetamine
Cocaine
Ketamine
Counterfeit U.S. currency
Explosive materials, including tubes with fuses and smokeless powder

Prosecutors said narcotics were found throughout the basement, including inside Gianatiempo’s bedroom and in a workstation area outside the room.

Investigators also recovered 15 grams of N-Pyrrolidino Isotonitazene, a synthetic opioid belonging to the nitazene family.

Concerns Raised Over Potent Synthetic Opioid

District Attorney Donnelly used the case to highlight concerns about nitazenes, a class of synthetic opioids that experts warn can be significantly more potent than fentanyl.

While several nitazene compounds are listed as controlled substances under New York law, prosecutors noted that N-Pyrrolidino Isotonitazene is not currently scheduled, meaning possession alone cannot be prosecuted unless it is mixed with another controlled substance.

Donnelly said the discovery underscores what she described as a gap in New York’s drug laws.

“Anthony Gianatiempo peddled fentanyl, heroin and xylazine, highly addictive and deadly drugs, and had a stash of a synthetic opioid known as nitazene, an unscheduled drug that is shockingly not illegal to possess in New York State despite its potency and increasing prevalence in overdose deaths across the nation,” Donnelly said.

She added that lawmakers should revisit existing statutes to address emerging synthetic opioids before they become more widespread.

Key Points

• Westbury resident Anthony Gianatiempo pleaded guilty to drug sales and weapons-related charges.
• Investigators recovered fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, ketamine, explosives, and counterfeit currency from his home.
• Authorities also found a potent nitazene opioid that is not currently scheduled under New York law.

Sentencing Set for August

Gianatiempo was arrested in Hicksville on August 5, 2025, by members of the Nassau County Police Department following the execution of the search warrant.

Under the plea agreement, he is expected to receive six years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision when he returns to court on August 7, 2026.

The investigation was conducted through a partnership involving the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the Nassau County Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Field Division.

The case is now awaiting sentencing, where Gianatiempo is expected to formally receive the negotiated prison term for his role in distributing narcotics and possessing explosive materials discovered during the investigation.

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