Earlier today in Central Islip federal court, Ryan Mueller was sentenced to 22 years in prison for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a retired police officer. United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack handed down the sentence, which also includes the forfeiture of $49,394 and two firearms. Mueller had pleaded guilty in December 2024 to distributing fentanyl causing death.
United States Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr., for the Eastern District of New York, and Frank A Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division, announced the sentencing.
“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.”
Nocella thanked both the Nassau County Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations in New York for their work on this 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,” said 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.”
According to court documents, Mueller conspired with others over several years to sell controlled substances including fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and oxycodone. In December 2022, a retired police officer died from an overdose at his Long Island residence after consuming what appeared to be oxycodone but actually contained fentanyl supplied by Mueller.
Authorities recovered multiple kilos of fentanyl from Mueller’s home as well as equipment used for manufacturing pills from storage facilities under his control.
In February 2025 authorities conducted another seizure linked to Mueller which yielded about 3.4 million fake pharmaceutical pills—including counterfeit oxycodone containing fentanyl—fake Xanax tablets, over 300,000 Quaalude pills and around 600 grams of brick-form fentanyl. The DEA stated this seizure surpassed all similar seizures by its New York Division during all of last year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that roughly 80,391 people died from drug overdoses nationwide in 2024—a leading cause among injury-related deaths—with synthetic opioids like fentanyl responsible for about 48,422 fatalities that year alone. Overdose deaths overall declined by approximately 27% between 2023 (about 108,000 deaths) and 2024 (about 80,391 deaths), while opioid-involved fatalities dropped from around 83,140 to roughly 54,743 during that period.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam R. Toporovsky with support from Paralegal Specialist Janelle Robinson out of EDNY’s Long Island Division Criminal Section.
Ryan Mueller
Age: 33
Lynbrook, New York
E.D.N.Y Docket No.: 24-CR-134
