BRENTWOOD, NY – A Central Islip man has been sentenced to 18 years in state prison after authorities linked his drug sales to a fatal overdose in Brentwood, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said Jeffrey Sloan, 62, pleaded guilty in October to felony drug possession and sale charges stemming from the February 2025 death of a 25-year-old Brentwood resident. The sentence was imposed on January 21, 2026, and includes five years of post-release supervision.
District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the conduct and the investigation that followed the overdose, which uncovered a supply chain tied directly to the victim’s final hours.
Investigation and Evidence
According to court filings, officers from the Suffolk County Police Department responded to a Brentwood residence on February 6, 2025, where the victim was found deceased. Investigators recovered multiple glassine envelopes containing drug residue, along with a Xanax pill and the victim’s cell phone.
A review of the phone revealed text messages arranging a narcotics purchase with Sloan. Investigators said the victim ordered heroin and a Xanax pill for $140, with the exchange scheduled two days earlier at a 7‑Eleven on Crooked Hill Road in Brentwood.
Surveillance footage from the store showed the victim withdrawing cash from an ATM, followed by Sloan’s arrival and what authorities described as a hand-to-hand transaction.
An autopsy conducted by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be mixed drug intoxication. Toxicology results identified fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, cocaine, ketamine, and morphine in the victim’s system.
Search Warrants and Additional Findings
On February 19, 2025, police executed court-authorized search warrants at Sloan’s home, camper, and vehicles. Authorities reported recovering large quantities of narcotics, including fentanyl and heroin mixtures, cocaine, and more than 100 assorted pills such as Xanax and oxycodone. Investigators also seized ledgers, multiple cell phones, digital scales, glassine envelopes, cutting agents, and protective gear.
Among the substances recovered was medetomidine, a powerful veterinary tranquilizer. While legal to possess in New York State, officials say the drug has increasingly appeared as an adulterant in illicit narcotics due to its potency, which is reported to be significantly stronger than xylazine.
Guilty Plea and Sentencing
On October 22, 2025, Sloan pleaded guilty before Richard I. Horowitz to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, a Class A-1 felony, and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class B felony.
He was formally sentenced on January 21, 2026.
Key Facts and Details
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Defendant | Jeffrey Sloan, 62 |
| Residence | Central Islip, New York |
| Victim | 25-year-old Brentwood resident |
| Overdose Date | February 6, 2025 |
| Meeting Location | 7-Eleven, Crooked Hill Road, Brentwood |
| Cause of Death | Mixed drug intoxication |
| Drugs Identified | Fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, cocaine, ketamine, morphine |
| Additional Substances | Xanax, oxycodone, medetomidine |
| Guilty Plea | October 22, 2025 |
| Sentence Date | January 21, 2026 |
| Prison Term | 18 years |
| Post-Release Supervision | 5 years |
| Prosecuting Agency | Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office |
Medetomidine and Emerging Drug Adulterants
Medetomidine is a powerful veterinary sedative primarily used to tranquilize large animals. In New York State, it is legal to possess for approved veterinary and research purposes. In recent years, however, law enforcement and public health officials have reported its appearance as an adulterant in the illicit drug supply, particularly in opioids and mixed street drugs.
Officials say medetomidine is being introduced by drug distributors to enhance or prolong sedative effects, often at a lower cost than traditional narcotics. Its potency is significant, and experts note that it can be substantially stronger than xylazine, another veterinary tranquilizer that has been widely documented in the illegal drug market. In some regions, medetomidine is increasingly being detected as xylazine becomes more regulated or scrutinized.
Unlike fentanyl, medetomidine does not respond to naloxone (Narcan), which can complicate overdose response efforts. While naloxone may still reverse opioid-related respiratory depression, the presence of non-opioid sedatives can leave individuals unconscious or medically unstable even after opioid reversal.
Public health agencies emphasize that the evolving composition of the illicit drug supply presents increased and unpredictable overdose risks, as users may be unaware of the substances involved or their combined effects. Ongoing surveillance, toxicology testing, and public awareness campaigns are being used to track and respond to these emerging trends.
