A Long Island man appeared in court earlier this week and was charged with nine counts of drug trafficking, drug possession and child endangerment charges after reportedly being caught with a “staggering” amount of substances, the DA says.
Suffolk County prosecutors said Friday that law enforcement seized 15 pounds of fentanyl, 18 pounds of cocaine and a half-pound of xylazine from Remo Gibson’s Bellport, Long Island home where two children lived.
A remarkable quantity of fentanyl was allegedly discovered on a nightstand in Gibson’s bedroom, adjacent to a room occupied by his two minor children, the DA’s office reported. Cocaine was also allegedly found hidden in a trap behind a backyard shed.
Gibson, 43, plead not guilty to the charges during his arraignment on Wednesday. He has posted an $800,000 bond and will await trial.
District Attorney Ray Tierney said the amount of drugs recovered from Gibson was enough to kill approximately 3.5 million people, and was the largest fentanyl seizure in Suffolk County history.
“There was enough fentanyl here to kill every man, woman and child on Long Island,” he said. “This case underscores our unwavering commitment to dismantling drug operations that threaten our communities.”
Gibson’s attorney George Duncan, said Gibson maintains his innocence and that he “is not a trafficker of any kind. We look forward to defending the case as soon as we get all the discovery.”
According to Tierney, law enforcement officers searched Gibson’s home last month and found $80,000 in cash and drug production equipment, including a ledger and a kilo press that stamped the phrase “COVID-19.”
DEA New York Division Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino emphasized the imminent risks being posed by fentanyl’s distribution across the region and the country in a statement.
“The arrest and indictment of Reman Gibson shows the commitment the DEA and our law enforcement partners have in targeting those individuals who are poisoning our communities. Fentanyl is a lethal drug that dealers mix into their product knowing the harmful effects it presents to those using it, including death,” Tarentino said. “We will continue to bring those responsible for this deadly distribution to justice.”
Gibson is due back in court on November 8, 2024, and faces a minimum of 15 years to life in prison if convicted on the top count.
