{"id":2125098,"date":"2025-10-30T16:44:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T16:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2125098"},"modified":"2025-10-30T16:44:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T16:44:14","slug":"5-people-arrested-in-connection-with-robert-de-niros-grandsons-overdose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/5-people-arrested-in-connection-with-robert-de-niros-grandsons-overdose\/","title":{"rendered":"5 People Arrested in Connection With Robert De Niro\u2019s Grandson\u2019s Overdose"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Five people have been arrested in connection with Robert De Niro<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s grandson Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez<\/strong>\u2019s fatal drug overdose<\/a> in 2023.<\/p>\n

ABC News<\/em> <\/a>reported on Thursday, October 30, that Grant McIver<\/strong>, Bruce Epperson<\/strong>, Eddie Barreto<\/strong>, John Nicolas<\/strong> and Roy Nicolas<\/strong> were detained on charges of selling counterfeit prescription opioid pills laced with fentanyl and other drugs to affluent teenagers in New York City. The five new defendants were allegedly part of a criminal network that distributed thousands of the tainted pills, according to prosecutors.<\/p>\n

The indictment did not directly name the group\u2019s victims but law enforcement sources confirmed to the outlet that Leandro and the late Akira Stein<\/strong> \u2014 daughter of Blondie cofounder and guitarist Chris Stein<\/strong> \u2014 were among those who died from the counterfeit prescription drugs.<\/p>\n

Sophia Marks<\/strong> was previously charged<\/a> in September 2023 with three counts of distribution of narcotics in connection with Leandro\u2019s death. She was reportedly given the nickname \u201cPercocet Princess\u201d for her alleged drug connections prior to her arrest.<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Robert De Niro Reacts to Daughter Airyn Coming Out as Trans<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tUPDATE: 5\/1\/25 at 12:19 a.m. ET \u2014 Robert De Niro has issued a statement of support for his daughter Airyn De Niro, telling Variety, \u201cI loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don\u2019t know what the big deal is. I love all my children.\u201d [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Us Weekly<\/em> has reached out to Robert\u2019s spokesperson for comment.<\/p>\n

According to the New York City medical examiner\u2019s office, Leandro died at age 19 from a lethal combination of fentanyl, bromazolam, alprazolam, 7-aminoclonazepam, ketamine and cocaine in July 2023. NYPD officers found the 19-year-old unresponsive when they answered an emergency call in Lower Manhattan and later pronounced him dead.<\/p>\n

Robert and his ex-wife Diahnne Abbott<\/strong>\u2019s daughter Drena De Niro<\/strong> released a heartwrenching statement to confirm the death of her only son<\/a> at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy beautiful sweet angel. I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly. You have been my joy, my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life,\u201d Drena, 58, wrote via Instagram in July 2023. \u201cI wish I was with you right now. I wish I was with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued. \u201cI don\u2019t know how to live without you but I\u2019ll try to go on and spread the love and light that you so made me feel in getting to be your mama. You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish that love alone could have saved you \ud83d\ude1e.\u201d<\/p>\n

The following day, Robert, 82, said that he was \u201cdeeply distressed\u201d in his first public comments about his grandson Leandro\u2019s tragic death.<\/p>\n

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\n Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez<\/span> Courtesy Instagram \/ Drena De Niro<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo,\u201d he requested.<\/p>\n

In February 2024, the Meet the Parents<\/em> actor reflected on his \u201cdisbelief\u201d<\/a> over Leandro\u2019s overdose, acknowledging that it was \u201cjust a shock\u201d for his entire family.<\/p>\n

\u201c[I] never thought it would happen,\u201d he told People<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The two-time Academy Award winner admitted that he often wondered whether he\u2019d done enough to help his grandson.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just then started thinking about all the things I could have, should have done maybe with him,\u201d Robert said. \u201cI don\u2019t know if that would\u2019ve made a difference. And so that\u2019s always playing through my mind. \u2026 It shouldn\u2019t have happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

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