A Rockland County man has been sentenced to more than 21 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl that resulted in six poisonings, including three fatalities, between 2020 and 2022. Justin Turnick, 26, of Congers, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. His actions led to the deaths of three young individuals and the non-fatal overdoses of three others in Rockland County, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky stated that Turnick’s actions went beyond fueling addiction, instead contributing to a crisis that has claimed lives and caused immense suffering. He reaffirmed law enforcement’s commitment to combating the fentanyl epidemic and seeking justice for those affected.
Investigations revealed that Turnick regularly distributed fentanyl throughout Rockland County, supplying the potent opioid in pill form, as pure fentanyl, and as fentanyl-laced powder. Among his victims were friends, partners, and acquaintances. Authorities linked him to six poisonings, including the deaths of 19-year-old Gustaf Olsen on February 3, 2020, 22-year-old Jonathan Shashoua on July 11, 2020, and 18-year-old Ione Koenig on July 31, 2021. Additionally, three individuals, including an 18-year-old girl in January 2021 and a 23-year-old man in April 2022, suffered non-fatal overdoses after consuming fentanyl distributed by Turnick.
Alongside his prison sentence, Turnick was ordered to serve five years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Clarkstown Police Department, and the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office, with additional assistance from several local and county law enforcement agencies. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison and Kathryn Wheelock of the White Plains Division.