Raul Silva has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for selling narcotics, including fentanyl, which led to the death of a 66-year-old woman in July 2019. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel. Silva had sold drugs to the victim for several years.
Acting United States Attorney Matthew Podolsky stated, "Raul Silva made a career of endangering lives by distributing illegal narcotics, some of which were laced with deadly fentanyl and acetyl. Silva’s disregard for others eventually caused the tragic and untimely death of a 66-year-old woman, who overdosed on a laced dose supplied by Silva."
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, between February and July 2019, Silva and a co-defendant conspired to sell over 4,000 glassines containing combinations of fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, heroin, and other drugs to an undercover NYPD officer on eight occasions. This activity followed years of drug trafficking by Silva, resulting in 14 prior criminal convictions.
Silva was also the longtime supplier for the victim from Chelsea, Manhattan. On July 11, 2019, he sold her several glassines containing lethal substances. She died shortly after consuming them. Her body was discovered two days later by her daughter.
In addition to his prison term, Silva will serve five years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Podolsky commended the NYPD's investigative work on this case.
The prosecution is being managed by the Office’s Narcotics Unit with Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan L. Bodansky and Matthew Weinberg leading the case with support from Paralegal Specialist Owen Foley.