Three
men arrested during the investigation into rapper Mac Miller’s deadly overdose
last year have now been charged with providing the drugs that killed him, U.S.
prosecutors said Wednesday.
A grand jury indictment that
was unsealed in Los Angeles accuses the men of conspiring and distributing
cocaine and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl that caused Miller’s death in
September 2018.
Cameron Pettit, 28, of West
Hollywood, California; Stephen Walter, 46, of Los Angeles; and Ryan Reavis, 36,
of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, were previously charged with drug-related
offenses. Wednesday’s charges add the allegation that their drugs led to
Miller’s death.
Miller, 26, died of an
accidental overdose of the powerful opioid fentanyl, along with cocaine and
alcohol. Fentanyl has contributed to an epidemic of opioid abuse in the U.S.
that has claimed thousands of lives, including those of other musicians, such
as Prince.
The men face a mandatory
minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and the potential for life
without parole if convicted of either of the charges related to Miller’s death.
All have been arrested in
recent weeks and remain in custody, and none has entered a plea.
Walter’s attorney, William S.
Harris, said he was reviewing the indictment and other elements of the case,
and could not immediately comment. An attorney for Pettit did not immediately
respond to an email seeking comment. It’s unclear whether Reavis has a lawyer.
Pettit and Walter, who was
also charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition, were scheduled to
be arraigned on the new charges on Oct. 10. Reavis, who was arrested last week
in Arizona, does not have an arraignment date set yet.
The indictment alleges the
men continued to distribute drugs through August 2019.
Miller’s beats and rhymes,
with their frank expressions of drug use and depression, made him a beloved and
respected figure among fans, including some of the biggest names in hip-hop.
The Pittsburgh native, whose
real name was Malcolm James Myers McCormick, was in a two-year relationship
with Ariana Grande that ended earlier in 2018. After his death, the pop star
posted a loving video of him on her Instagram page and released a song, “Thank
U Next,” that affectionately mentioned him.
The indictment alleged that
Walter supplied the fentanyl and cocaine that Pettit sold to Miller and that
Reavis, who lived in the Los Angeles area until earlier this year, acted as a
middleman for the fentanyl sale.
Pettit on Sept. 5, 2018 sold
Miller cocaine, Xanax and 10 blue pills that appeared to be oxycodone but
contained fentanyl after the two had exchanged text messages a day earlier,
according to the indictment.
In the texts, Miller
proclaimed his love for oxycodone, or “percs” for the brand name Percocet, and
also asks for “bars” of Xanax and a “ball” of cocaine, according to a previous
court filing. Miller also asked Pettit, “When can u get em?” according to
previous court filings.
Two days later, Miller’s
assistant found him dead at his Los Angeles home.
In another set of messages
included in the indictment, Reavis worried in a text sent in June about
undercover police buying drugs.
“People have been dying from
fake blues left and right,” the message said, “you better believe law
enforcement is using informants and undercover to buy them on the street so
they can start putting people in prison for life for selling fake pills.”
Source: ktla.com
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