Long Island Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Selling Fentanyl that Killed a Retired Police Officer

Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Ryan Mueller was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 22 years in prison for the distribution of fentanyl causing the death of another.  The Court also ordered Mueller to forfeit $49,394 and two firearms.  Mueller pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl that caused the death of another in December 2024.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Frank A Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division announced the sentence.

“Mueller operated a massive and deadly fentanyl scheme.  He built vending-machine-sized pill presses, possessed kilos of fentanyl and millions of fake and deadly pharmaceutical pills, and sold the fentanyl that led to the tragic loss of life of a retired police officer,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “Although no punishment can make up for a life lost, today’s sentence sends the message that our Office and our law enforcement partners will never stop working to stop unscrupulous drug dealers who distribute poison.”

Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Nassau County Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations, New York for their work on the case.

“Ryan Mueller’s decision to make and distribute fentanyl laced counterpart pills resulted in the death of an unsuspecting user who thought he was taking a legitimate pharmaceutical pill.  This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers that counterfeit pills have on our communities,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Tarentino.  “In February of 2025, the DEA and law enforcement partners seized approximately 3.4 million counterfeit pills from Mueller, making it one of the largest pill seizures in the New York Division’s history.  Many of the pills seized and tested in our laboratory contained lethal doses of fentanyl.  This wasn’t just a normal investigation; it was a life-saving operation.  The DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to target those poisoning our communities and hold them accountable.  While today’s sentencing is a small victory, the harm it has caused this family will be long lasting.”

As set forth in the indictment and other court filings, over the last several years, Mueller conspired with others to sell several controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and oxycodone.  In December 2022, a retired police officer died of a drug-related overdose at his residence on Long Island.  The investigation showed that the fentanyl that killed the victim, which was in a pressed pill made to appear to be oxycodone, was supplied by Mueller.  

Law enforcement officers recovered several kilos of fentanyl from Mueller’s residence.  Law enforcement also recovered multiple pill press parts from a storage facility controlled by the defendant, including powder dryers, blenders, and grinders.  Images of the pill presses that Mueller possessed are below:

In addition, in a February 2025 seizure of additional product distributed by Mueller, the DEA recovered approximately 3.4 million fake pharmaceutical pills, including fake oxycodone that contained fentanyl, fake Xanax pills, over 300,000 Quaalude pills and another approximately 600 grams of fentanyl in brick form.  This was the largest seizure of fake pills that the DEA New York Division has ever processed, and exceeded the entire New York Division’s totals from all of last year.  Pictures of some of the illegal drugs recovered can be seen below:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Justice, in 2024, approximately 80,391 people died from drug overdoses, making it a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States.  The increase in overdose deaths has been driven in large part by fentanyl, a drug that has been described as 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.  In 2024, about 48,422 people died from a drug overdose involving synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, a figure that was more than 25,000 fewer than the 76,282 synthetic opioid overdose deaths that occurred in 2023.  Between 2023 and 2024, overall drug overdose deaths declined approximately 27%, from around 108,000 such deaths in 2023.  Deaths involving opioids fell from around 83,140 in 2023 to 54,743 in 2024.

The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division.  Assistant United States Attorney Adam R. Toporovsky is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Janelle Robinson.

The Defendant:

RYAN MUELLER
Age:  33
Lynbrook, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-134