Charles Carter, 34, of Amityville, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, a lethal drug that claimed the lives of two Long Islanders, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Known as “Chase,” Carter’s drug dealing spree was brought to light after investigators uncovered text messages where he flaunted his deadly wares.
In November 2023, Carter pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, acknowledging that his actions directly contributed to the tragic deaths of two individuals in 2020 and 2021. The damning evidence included Carter’s text messages to one of the victims, sent just a month before the overdose: “im around and I got the good stuff. Do u need to see me..??”
“Carter, who openly acknowledged his drug dealing was all ‘about the money,’ is held responsible today for callously selling fentanyl that contributed to the deaths of two victims on Long Island,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, who condemned Carter’s callous disregard for human life.
Carter’s reign of terror began in August 2020, when he sold fentanyl to a 23-year-old victim in Glen Cove. The young woman died of an overdose shortly after purchasing the drugs from Carter. Just months later, in February 2021, a 40-year-old man in Farmingdale suffered a similar fate, from fentanyl Carter sol. Investigators discovered a series of text messages between Carter and the victims, revealing his predatory sales tactics and blatant indifference to the lives he was destroying.
In one exchange with an undercover Glen Cove Police Department officer, Carter bragged about the potency of his drugs, writing, “Next time imma give you some super fire cuz I’m getting some new sh– in a couple days so let your people know… I ain’t going to lie I’m going to have some way stronger sh– in the next couple days then I might have to cut it might be that strong seriously.”
The investigation, which involved the DEA, Nassau County Police Department, and Glen Cove Police Department, revealed that Carter had sold over 43 grams of fentanyl to the undercover officer. His ruthless pursuit of profit, as highlighted in his text messages, underscored the dangerous and predatory nature of his operations. “I’m about the money,” Carter wrote in response to the undercover officer’s text about reselling the drugs.
In addition to his prison sentence, Carter was ordered to pay $29,416.50 in restitution to cover the victims’ funeral expenses.
Carter’s conviction and sentencing are part of a broader effort to combat the fentanyl crisis, which continues to claim thousands of lives across the United States. In 2023 alone, nearly 108,000 people died from drug overdoses, with fentanyl being a major contributor.
