Daquan Booker, 34, allegedly sold oxycodone pills to 17-year-old Grace Wrightington, of Garden City, that contained fentanyl.
On July 4, 2023, Wrightington was found by officers in her bedroom after suffering an apparent overdose just four days after she and Booker met at Roosevelt Field Mall.
"My daughter was a beautiful, kind girl with a beautiful heart," said Tricia Wrightington, Grace's mother. "17 years old, stolen from us."
Officials say two blue MH 30 pills were recovered from Wrightington's purse and after testing performed by the Nassau County Medical Examiner's Office.
"Hundreds of people die every year across Long Island from overdose," added Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. "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."
Donnelly also noted 170 people died in this county last year from opioid drug overdose. 151 of them were due to Fentanyl.
Prosecutors said they feel powerless to crack down on defendants like Booker - whose also facing other fentanyl charges in Suffolk County. It's because in order to charge drug dealers with manslaughter. New York State would have to prove a dealer knew the drugs were laced with fentanyl and then disregarded the risk.
"It's happening everywhere," said Bill Wrightington, Grace's father. "The laws need to catch up."
Booker is facing charges of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree.
Booker is due back in court on Nov. 13.
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