Long Island man indicted on pill trafficking and weapons possession charges
SHIRLEY, Long Island (WABC) -- Authorities announced the indictment of a Long Island man on charges of running an illicit oxycodone pill trafficking operation and illegally possessing assault weapons.
39-year-old David Hassler of Shirley was named in a 19-count indictment.
17 long guns were seized from his home, along with four assault weapons, high capacity magazines and ammunition.
Investigataors say Hassler was stockpiling the weapons to protect his drug business.
He's accused of buying oxycodone pills from low-income senior citizens and then reselling the pills to addicts on the street.
"He even had a list of prescriptions of people who had prescriptions, and when their prescriptions would expire," said Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini. "So he knew when to approach them and re-up."
The seniors who sold their pills won't face any charges.
"This individual armed himself to the teeth and he did so, at least in part, to protect his drug business," Sini said. "That drug business was particularly offensive. He would prey upon individuals with prescriptions for oxycodone and approach those individuals to purchase oxycodone from them so that he could illegally distribute those pills to people suffering from addiction."
Hassler is scheduled to be arraigned by Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice John Collins on May 10.
If convicted of the top count, Hassler faces a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
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