A Rockland County man, Justin Turnick, has been sentenced to over 21 years in prison for his role in distributing fentanyl that led to six poisonings, including three fatalities. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern following Turnick's guilty plea to conspiring to distribute the potent opioid.
Acting United States Attorney Matthew Podolsky emphasized the gravity of Turnick’s actions: “Justin Turnick’s actions didn’t just facilitate addiction—they fueled a crisis that has claimed lives and inflicted unimaginable suffering.” He reiterated the commitment of his office and law enforcement partners to combat the fentanyl epidemic.
Turnick, aged 26 and a resident of Congers, New York, was found responsible for distributing fentanyl in various forms, leading to both fatal and non-fatal overdoses between February 2020 and April 2022. Among those affected were Gustaf Olsen, who died at age 19 on February 3, 2020; Jonathan Shashoua, who died at age 22 on July 11, 2020; and Ione Koenig, who died at age 18 on July 31, 2021. Additionally, an unnamed 18-year-old girl experienced a non-fatal poisoning on January 5, 2021; Ione Koenig survived a prior non-fatal incident on July 30, 2021; and a 23-year-old man suffered a non-fatal poisoning on April 19, 2022.
In addition to his prison term, Turnick will serve five years of supervised release. The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration and local police departments from Clarkstown to Westchester County.
The prosecution is managed by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison and Kathryn Wheelock from the White Plains Division.