Los Angeles man charged with selling fentanyl to Mac Miller before his death

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A Los Angeles man who prosecutors say sold counterfeit oxycodone laced with fentanyl to rapper Mac Miller two days before his death from an accidental overdose was arrested on Wednesday on federal drug charges.

Cameron James Pettit, 28, was accused in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles of delivering the pills to Miller, the former boyfriend of pop star Ariana Grande, early on the morning of Sept. 5, 2018.

The 26-year-old musician and producer, whose real name was Malcolm James McCormick, was found unresponsive in his home in the Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles on the morning of Sept. 7 and pronounced dead at the scene.

Following an autopsy, the Los Angeles County coroner ruled that Miller had died of an accidental overdose of cocaine and fentanyl. Investigators believe Pettit likely supplied him with the pills that caused his death, according to the charging documents.

“We’ve seen too many tragic deaths,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Jacobs said at an afternoon news conference. “People should know that if they consume black market opioid pills they are playing Russian roulette. It could be a genuine pill or it could be laced with something that will leave them dead on the spot.”

Pettit, who was arrested on Wednesday on a single count of drug trafficking, was expected to make an initial court appearance later in the day. It was not immediately clear if he had retained an attorney.

Prosecutors say Pettit also supplied Miller with Xanax and cocaine on the morning of Sept. 5 and, after learning of his death, told a friend: “Most likely I will die in jail.”

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Representatives for Miller declined to comment.

Miller was a Pittsburgh-born singer-songwriter who first gained a following while still a teenager and topped the Billboard album charts with his 2011 debut album, “Blue Side Park.” He spoke openly of his drug addiction in interviews and in his lyrics.

He was also a sought-after producer, using the pseudonym Larry Fisherman, and was posthumously nominated for a Grammy for his final album,”Swimming.”

Miller and Grande, 26, dated for about two years, splitting months before his death.

The pop star, who recorded a duet with Miller in 2012, sings affectionately about him in her hit single “thank u, next,” referring to him by his given name Malcolm.

A spokesman for Grande could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Reporting by Dan Whitcomb, Editing by Bill Berkrot, Peter Cooney and Cynthia Osterman

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source: reuters.com