Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a West Babylon man was indicted on charges of criminal possession and sale of a controlled substance for allegedly selling oxycodone pills to a 17-year-old Garden City High School student that contained deadly fentanyl and resulted in her fatal overdose in July 2023.
Daquan Booker, 34, of West Babylon, was arraigned today before Judge Helene Gugerty on two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (a B felony) and two counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (a B felony). The defendant pleaded not guilty, and was released to pre-trial services with electronic monitoring, ordered to surrender his passport, and an additional curfew was ordered. If convicted, Booker faces up to nine years in prison. The defendant is due back in court on November 13, 2024.
“Daquan Booker first approached 17-year-old Grace Wrightington as she walked home from high school, allegedly telling her about pills he could sell to her. On at least two occasions, Booker allegedly sold Grace supposed oxycodone pills, and just four days after the last sale on June 30, 2023, Grace was dead,” said DA Donnelly. “Twelve hours before Grace overdosed, she took a video of herself on her phone, clearly panicked and fearing she was inadvertently taking fentanyl. She was tragically right. The pills Grace had in her possession were tested after her death and were revealed to contain the deadly drug.
“Daquan Booker could not be charged with Grace’s death because of deficiencies in New York State law that effectively handcuff district attorney’s when seeking to prosecute dealers for the overdose deaths caused by the drugs they sell,” DA Donnelly continued. “Hundreds of people die every year across Long Island from overdose. The Wrightington family is not the first to go through the anguish of losing a child and finding out the person responsible for selling the fatal drugs cannot be held accountable for their death. If our laws do not change, they sadly will not be the last.”
DA Donnelly said that, according to the charges, on at least two occasions the defendant met with 17-year-old Grace Wrightington and sold her illegal opioid pills.
On June 30, 2023, the defendant met with Wrightington at Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City and allegedly sold her pills that resembled oxycodone.
Four days later, on July 4, 2023, at approximately 1:21 p.m., members of the Garden City Police Department responded to a 911 caller screaming “she’s dead!”
Upon arrival, officers found Wrightington, a rising senior at Garden City High School, deceased in her bedroom after suffering an apparent drug overdose.
Two blue MH 30 pills were recovered from Wrightington’s purse and after subsequent testing by the Nassau County Medical Examiner’s Office, were found to contain fentanyl. The Medical Examiner also determined that Wrightington’s cause of death was acute fentanyl intoxication.
During the investigation, Garden City Police reviewed Wrightington’s phone and found a “selfie” video that was taken just 12 hours before she overdosed.
The video showed Wrightington talking to herself, discussing that she had been buying drugs on the street, and describing how she became addicted to pills containing what she believed was fentanyl.
Booker was arrested on October 11, 2024, by members of the Garden City Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Bureau Chief Lee Genser under the supervision of Narcotics, Firearms and Gangs Bureau Chief Nicholas Mauro and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Investigations Division Rick Whelan. The defendant is represented by Jeffrey Groder, Esq.
The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.