


A New York man was busted Wednesday for peddling fentanyl-laced pills that caused five people to overdose — two of whom died, federal prosecutors announced.
Justin Turnick, 25, of Congers, regularly dealt fentanyl to his friends, partners and acquaintances in the community from 2020 through 2022 — despite knowing the dangers of the deadly opioid and personally witnessing three of the victims OD from drugs he had sold them, prosecutors allege.
Turnick hawked the drug in different forms including in pills he nicknamed “fenti” pills and “fake percs” — an apparent reference to Percocet, according to the White Plains federal court indictment against him.
He also allegedly sold pills he claimed were legitimate pharmaceuticals that he new were actually dosed with pure fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics, the indictment states.
The five people who overdosed ranged in age from 19 to 24, prosecutors said. One of them died on Feb. 3, 2020 in West Nyack, while the other died on July 11, 2020 in Haverstraw,
Another of the victims overdosed twice in the span of two days at the end of July 2021 from the drug sold to them by Turnick, according to the indictment.
Turnick also sold pure fentanyl and fentanyl-laced powder, the court papers claim.
He was charged with six counts of distribution of narcotics and faces 20 years to life in prison if convicted.
“Justin Turnick was well aware of the dangers of the poison he peddled as he had witnessed three of his victims overdose before his own eyes, but he continued to distribute the drug anyway,” Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.
Turnick was set to appear in White Plains federal court Wednesday.
His criminal defense attorney, Frank O’Reilly, told The Post, “My client looks forward to contesting these charges in court.”