72-year-old Hauppauge man charged with selling fentanyl linked to fatal overdose
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said he was disappointed he could not use Chelsey’s Law to prosecute the case as manslaughter.
More Stories
A 72‑year‑old Hauppauge man has been indicted by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for allegedly selling fentanyl that led to the death of another man.
Michael Dirago is charged with several counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance.
District Attorney Ray Tierney said he was disappointed he could not use Chelsey’s Law to prosecute the case as manslaughter. “I urge the legislature to wake up and pass it,” Tierney said.
The bill is currently in Assembly committee.
In September 2024, Suffolk County police responded to a report of a drug overdose at a home in Mastic. Officers pronounced the 53‑year‑old victim dead at the scene. An autopsy later determined the cause of death was acute mixed drug intoxication involving fentanyl and xylazine.
Several months later, in February, police received a tip related to the overdose and assembled the East End Drug Task Force - a multi‑agency group - to investigate. Detectives learned that the day before the fatal overdose, the victim had been communicating with a phone number saved as “Mike Gangster,” which was later identified as Dirago.
In 2026, an undercover officer allegedly purchased 999 pills from Dirago. Prosecutors say the pills contained fentanyl, along with other substances commonly used by dealers as cutting agents to increase profits.
On April 16, members of the East End Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at Dirago’s residence, recovering approximately 500 pills and $27,964 in cash. The seized pills also tested positive for fentanyl.
Dirago is expected to return to court on May 12.
If convicted on the top count, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
