Five busted in OD death of De Niro’s grandson, accused of supplying thousands of pills to teens

Five reputed drug dealers were hit with federal charges Thursday for allegedly peddling fentanyl-laced opioid pills that killed Robert De Niro’s grandson in 2023. 

Grant McIver, Bruce Epperson, Eddie Barreto, John Nicolas and Roy Nicolas were part of a criminal crew that sold thousands of counterfeit pills to unsuspecting teens and young adults across the Big Apple, according to an indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court.

“Today, justice has been delivered,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said in a statement Thursday. 

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“While the arrest of these five individuals will not bring back the lives lost, we hope it brings some measure of closure to the families who continue to grieve,” he said.

The five men allegedly supplied the drugs responsible for the July 2023 overdose death of the legendary actor’s grandson, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez — and also sold drugs that killed 19-year-old Akira Stein, the daughter of Blondie guitarist Chris Stein, law enforcement sources said.

“I overdosed,” Akira Stein allegedly messaged John Nicolas in December 2022, less than six months before her death.

“Wtf babe?” Nicolas allegedly replied.

“You’re totally protected can’t find the batch everything’s okay just letting you know,” she allegedly wrote. “I crushed up two barely split one. 

“Like I barely did anything and I know my tolerance,” she allegedly said, adding, “just warn customers in batch might be extra strong.”

Federal prosecutors said she died from an overdose on May 30, 2023, at the age of 19.

Sophia Haley Marks, 20, an alleged drug dealer known as the “Percocet Princess,” has been separately charged with being the person who sold De Niro Rodriguez the pills he overdosed on.

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According to the indictment, Epperson, known as “Tea,” and Barreto, began selling marijuana, cocaine, LSD and prescription pills in 2019, often making the deals out of Manhattan hotel rooms or Epperson’s Queens apartment. 

McIver, also known as “Dizzy,” allegedly began selling drugs in 2023, including a potentially fatal form of fentanyl and Zylazine, an animal tranquilizer that is not approved for human use.

Roy Nicolas and his brother, John “John John” Nicolas, are accused of selling fentanyl-laced pills in 2022, often referring customers to each other depending on the drug of choice.

The crew would advertise the drugs on social media, targeting teens and young adults on Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and Telegram, the feds said. 

Marks, who was charged in 2023, allegedly bought drugs from the crew and resold them to others, including Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, the indictment said.

Marks allegedly began buying drugs from the Nicolas brothers in 2022, including Xanax and fentanyl. 

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In 2023, three New York City teenage clients of the crew died from overdoses, including Stein and De Niro Rodriguez. 

The famed actor’s 19-year-old grandson was at a pal’s downtown Manhattan on July 2, 2023, when he swallowed a potent fentanyl pill and suffered a fatal overdose.

Federal prosecutors said all five were arrested over the past week, including in Texas and upstate New York and are being detained. 

The NYPD assisted the feds in the case. 

“These defendants allegedly used social media to manipulate teenagers and sell them thousands of deadly fentanyl pills, leading to fatal overdoses of these three young New Yorkers,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement. 

“The NYPD remains laser-focused on dismantling dangerous drug networks and restoring quality of life in our communities,” Tisch added.