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A Long Island drug kingpin let two overdose victims die in a hotel while he cleaned up and went to Wendy’s with his henchmen — but now he’s been hit with a super-sized jail sentence.

Russell Defreitas, known on the streets as “Merc,” had told his goons not to call 911 while a man and a woman OD’d inside his room at an unidentified hotel in March 2023, Suffolk County prosecutors said Tuesday — as the fentanyl and crack peddler was slapped with a 53-year prison sentence.

Instead the fentanyl and crack peddlers cleaned the room of drug paraphernalia and went to the nearby fast-food joint, only calling 911 hours later after the two had died, according to the District’s Attorney’s Office.


  Long island drug kingpin Russell Defreitas was sentenced to 53 years in prison. Suffolk County DA Long island drug kingpin Russell Defreitas was sentenced to 53 years in prison. Suffolk County DA

“This defendant’s actions directly led to two overdose fatalities,” DA Ray Tierney said in a statement.

Days later, police — who had been on to Defreitas since a 2022 overdose incident — raided another hotel room he was staying in, plus his Holbrook trailer.

Authorities found fentanyl, cocaine, guns, and other drug-related materials along with the bank cards of the two deceased.

Defreitas, a 55-year-old Holbrook resident, was charged with nearly 100 drug and gun charges in addition to charges related to the OD deaths.

He was convicted on the 92 counts last March and previously lied under oath “repeatedly,” according to Tierney’s office.


  Suffolk County DA Ray Tierney said that Defreitas’ actions directly led to two overdose deaths. Dennis A. Clark Suffolk County DA Ray Tierney said that Defreitas’ actions directly led to two overdose deaths. Dennis A. Clark

In court, Defreitas represented himself at the sentencing this week.

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