A Wyandanch man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for selling fentanyl and crack cocaine that resulted in the fatal overdose of a 25-year-old woman in Ronkonkoma.
On November 13, 2022, Justin Llewellyn, 35, sold fentanyl and crack cocaine to Yasmin DeLeon and another individual at a hotel in Ronkonkoma. The following morning, DeLeon was found unresponsive. Despite attempts to revive her, including Llewellyn administering Narcan, she was pronounced dead when law enforcement arrived.
Llewellyn, who was present at the scene, was arrested and found in possession of narcotics, including fentanyl. A search of his vehicle revealed drug paraphernalia, including scales and an “overdose kit” containing unused doses of Narcan.
Llewellyn was already awaiting sentencing for a prior drug conviction from 2021 when he was arrested. In March 2024, he pleaded guilty to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy. He admitted to participating in a narcotics distribution network and committing multiple acts in furtherance of the conspiracy.
On May 15, 2024, Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Richard I. Horowitz sentenced Llewellyn to nine years in prison, followed by three years of post-release supervision. He was also sentenced to an additional two and a half years in prison, followed by one year of post-release supervision, for the 2021 case.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney highlighted the limitations of current state laws in holding drug dealers accountable for overdose deaths. He called for the passage of “Chelsey’s Law,” which would allow prosecutors to charge drug dealers with manslaughter if they had reasonable grounds to know that the substances they sold could cause death.
For more stories related to Chelsey’s Law, click here.
“Unfortunately, under current New York State law, all prosecutors can do is charge and seek penalties for the drug sale itself, with no additional charges or penalties for the death that was caused. This must change,” said Tierney. “I hope that our legislators do something to help stop the epidemic of opioid overdoses that we are seeing across New York State.”
Llewellyn was one of 21 defendants indicted last April following a long-term narcotics and gun trafficking investigation. His sentencing underscores the ongoing battle against the opioid crisis and the critical need for stronger legislative measures to combat drug-related fatalities.
