Glen Cove man sentenced to 13 years for drug, weapons charges, feds say
A Glen Cove man was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and weapons charges and admitted selling fentanyl that killed a Glen Cove man in 2017.
Ira Hall, 33, pleaded guilty in June to distributing cocaine and the unlawful use of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, according to the Eastern District U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said Hall sold fentanyl to a co-conspirator on May 30, 2017, who then gave the fatal dose of fentanyl to an unnamed 27-year-old who died from the overdose.
Glen Cove police investigated the death and arrested Hall with cocaine and a loaded revolver while conducting a drug deal in the parking lot of a Taco Bell in August 2017, police said.
Police and a DEA task force served a warrant at Hall’s home the next day, where they recovered a semi-automatic handgun and arrested his brother, Richard Hall, who was charged with possession of the handgun.
"Today’s sentence ensures that the defendant will serve a lengthy prison term for selling dangerous drugs while carrying a firearm, and also for callously causing the fentanyl overdose death of a resident of this district," Acting U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis said in a statement.
Hall’s attorney, Sean Maher, said Hall never supplied the drugs intending to harm anyone and was not working on behalf of a gang.
"This is a tragic case. Mr. Hall has accepted responsibility for his role in distributing a dangerous drug that led to the loss of another person’s life," Maher said. "Although Mr. Hall never intended for anyone to be hurt, much less lose their life, he is deeply remorseful and sorry for his actions."
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
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