SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY – Joseph Pittman, 44, notoriously known as “Tank” from Bay Shore, entered a guilty plea and was instantaneously sentenced to 8 ½ years behind bars with an additional three years of post-release supervision for his dealings in cocaine mixed with fentanyl which led to a lethal overdose. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney made this announcement earlier today.
The defendant, whose criminal exploits span over 25 years, was dubbed a recidivist criminal by District Attorney Tierney, who pointed out Pittman’s deadly commerce in fentanyl as the cause of Mr. Champlin’s demise. “This case underlines the necessity for a Death by Dealer statute in our legislation,” expressed Tierney, spotlighting the existing legal void in New York concerning extra penalties for fentanyl dealers whose sales culminate in fatalities.
The fatal chain of events unfolded on August 8, 2022, when Suffolk County law enforcement responded to a reported overdose at 53-year-old Paul Champlin’s residence in Great River. Following a preliminary investigation, substances presumed to be cocaine were recovered alongside a cellphone from the scene. Subsequent analyses by the Suffolk County Crime Laboratory affirmed the presence of both cocaine and fentanyl, with the autopsy certifying the cause of death as Acute Mixed Drug Intoxication.
The investigation unearthed text exchanges between Pittman and Champlin on August 6, 2022, revealing a narcotics transaction. Using the same contact information, an undercover detective orchestrated multiple narcotics purchases from Pittman, who directed the detective to the exact spot of the earlier transaction with Champlin. Two of these encounters resulted in the sale of the lethal cocaine-fentanyl blend.
A search executed on December 12, 2022, at Pittman’s Bay Shore residence led to the seizure of narcotics, digital scales, and a cellphone. In a desperate move, Pittman was caught trying to discard his narcotics stash amidst the search. Following his arrest, he recognized his acquaintance with the deceased, denoting Champlin’s aversion to “dope,” a colloquial term for heroin or fentanyl.
With 27 prior convictions, five being felonies, and being on parole for Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree at the time of these transactions, Pittman’s case amplifies the call for legislative reform to staunchly penalize dealers trading in death-dealing substances.