Five people have been arrested and accused of supplying the fentanyl-laced pills that resulted in the fatal overdose of Robert De Niro’s grandson in 2023.
Leandro was 19 when he died in July 2023. His death was caused by the “toxic effects of fentanyl, bromazolam, alprazolam, 7-aminoclonazepam, ketamine, and cocaine,” according to the medical examiner.
Now, years after his untimely death, law enforcement has reportedly arrested five individuals, per CBS News. They are all facing drug charges.
Prosecutors have alleged that the five men arrested — Grant McIver, Bruce Epperson, Eddie Barreto, John Nicolas and Roy Nicolas — used social media and other encrypted messaging apps to sell thousands of counterfeit opioid pills laced with fentanyl to teens and young adults across New York City.
Leandro was allegedly one of three teenagers to have died from an accidental overdose caused by the pills he was sold, an indictment states.
One of the victims had allegedly confronted one of the five people arrested to let them know their drugs had caused her to overdose, telling them to “just warn customers in batch might be extra strong.” Prosecutors said she later died from another overdose.
Two weeks later, the second victim died of an overdose, followed by Leandro less than a month after that.
Leandro was the only child of De Niro’s daughter, Drena, 58, who has appeared in several of her two-time Oscar-winning father’s movies, including City by the Sea (2002) and The Intern (2015).
Drena is the eldest of De Niro’s seven children. She is the daughter of his first wife, Diahnne Abbott, from a previous relationship, and De Niro adopted her in 1976 — the same year he married Abbott.
Like his mother and grandfather, Leandro was also an actor, appearing in the 2018 films A Star is Born and Cabaret Maxime.
His tragic death was announced by Drena on Instagram. “My beautiful sweet angel. I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly. You have been my joy my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life,” she wrote. “I wish I was with you right now. I wish I was with you. I don’t know how to live without you but I’ll try to go on and spread the love and light that you so made me feel in getting to be your mama.
“You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish that love alone could have saved you. I’m so sorry my baby,” she added. “Rest in Peace and Eternal Paradise my darling boy.”
Following Leandro’s tragic death, De Niro, 82, issued a statement, saying that he was “deeply distressed” by his grandson’s passing.
“I’m deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo,” he said at the time. “We’re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo.”
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