A Suffolk County man responsible for selling a deadly fentanyl-tramadol mixture that led to three overdoses, including one fatal, has been granted a controversial plea deal allowing him to avoid significant prison time. Omar Aitcheson, 31, of North Amityville, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of Criminal Sale and Possession of a Controlled Substance but will only spend 18 months in a Judicial Diversion Program (JDP), followed by a year of probation, before potentially having his felony charges dismissed.
Aitcheson’s actions led to the death of 32-year-old Igor Piaskowski and the non-fatal overdoses of two other men after he sold them what they believed was cocaine. Instead, the men ingested a lethal concoction of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid far more potent than heroin, and tramadol, a strong painkiller. Piaskowski died shortly after being rushed to the hospital, while the other two victims survived. Despite this, Aitcheson continued selling drugs, including to undercover detectives, before his arrest in October 2023.
The decision to allow Aitcheson into the JDP, which is typically reserved for individuals suffering from substance use disorders, was met with strong opposition from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney argued that Aitcheson’s actions, which were not driven by any substance use disorder, posed a significant danger to the community.
Tierney called the decision a “travesty of justice,” emphasizing that Aitcheson knowingly sold a substance that resulted in a fatal overdose.
Further highlighting the gravity of Aitcheson’s actions, the victim’s sister, Sandra Piaskowska, submitted a poignant letter to the court, expressing her devastation and opposing the plea deal. She described her brother Igor as a kind and hardworking individual who had unknowingly taken a fatal substance.
Read the full letter by clicking here.
Piaskowska criticized the decision to place Aitcheson in the diversion program, pointing out that Aitcheson’s social media presence glorified drug dealing and violence.
She quoted his social media bio, which read, “I am the punishment of God… If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you,” highlighting his apparent disregard for human life.
Despite these objections, Suffolk County Court Judge Philip Goglas proceeded with the plea deal. Should Aitcheson fail to complete the diversion program, he faces three years in prison—a sentence still significantly shorter than the eight years initially recommended by prosecutors.
Aitcheson is scheduled to return to court on August 20, 2024.
