2 Suffolk men charged with drug sales; 1 sold fentanyl that caused fatal OD, prosecutors say
Prosecutors said one of the men indicted sold fentanyl to a Brentwood father who died from an overdose. Credit: Newsday / James Carbone
Two Suffolk County men have been indicted on drug charges, including one who, prosecutors say, sold fentanyl to a Brentwood father who died from an overdose, Suffolk prosecutors said Thursday.
Steven Pesantez, 29, of Brentwood, who is accused of selling the deadly fentanyl to a high school acquaintance, and Isaiah Skees Pierre Louis, who is also known as Isaiah Skees, 27, of Bay Shore, were indicted on multiple counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance and other charges. Pesantez is not charged in connection with the death.
The victim who died of fentanyl intoxication on Feb. 12 was discovered by his 4-year-old daughter in Brentwood, prosecutors said.
"No child should ever have to find their parent dead from an overdose," Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement. "Public safety demands that we treat each of these deaths not as accidents, but as preventable tragedies caused by deliberate criminal conduct."
Pesantez's defense attorney, George Duncan, said in an interview: "My client denies any connection to the death of anybody. He is not charged with it. And he denied any connection to that. My client has a history of drug use for which he’s currently in treatment. He has never knowingly consumed or sold fentanyl. And there’s no evidence that the district attorney office has to the contrary."
Opioids, including the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, have killed thousands of Long Islanders, though the number of fatal overdoses each year have begun to decrease.
In 2023, for example, the number of fatal overdoses in Suffolk County, 463, dropped more than 11%, Newsday has reported. In Nassau, overdoses were down 16%.
Investigators began to look at Skees as an alleged supplier of pressed fentanyl pills in the Amityville area and an undercover detective bought the pills from Skees three times between late February and early March, prosecutors said, adding that Pesantez drove Skees to two of the drug buys.
Six days after the Brentwood father's death, the officer pretended to be dissatisfied with the pills in a text exchange with Skees, who inquired how he liked them.
Skees allegedly responded by texting, according to prosecutors: "I don’t get the crazy strong ones no more. My man caught a body off them."
Police arrested Pesantez on July 22 in connection with allegations that he committed a breaking and entering into the home of his former girlfriend, prosecutors said. Authorities recovered blue M30 pills believed to be the opioid Percocet, cocaine and a digital scale during a probation search of Pesantez's home at the time of the arrest, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said the pills "were identical in size, color, and markings as those allegedly sold by Skees to the undercover officer."
Skees was arrested and charged with the sale of the fentanyl pressed pills to undercover detectives on Aug. 1 and was found in possession of powder fentanyl.
Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro set bail at $25,000 cash, $100,000 bond or $250,000 partially secured bond.
Skees' attorney could not be reached for comment.
Ambro ordered Pesantez held on $50,000 cash, $200,000 bond or $300,000 partially secured bond.
Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.
Snow totals may be less across the South Shore A winter storm is expected to pummel LI as artic air settles in across the region. NewsdayTV meteorologist Geoff Bansen has the forecast.
Snow totals may be less across the South Shore A winter storm is expected to pummel LI as artic air settles in across the region. NewsdayTV meteorologist Geoff Bansen has the forecast.
