New York prosecutors accuse five men of running a drug ring linked to the overdose deaths of three teenagers, including Robert De Niro’s 19-year-old grandson.
Five men have been charged in connection with the fatal fentanyl overdose of Robert De Niro’s grandson and two other teenagers in New York, federal prosecutors announced Thursday November 6, 2025.
The suspects — Bruce Epperson, Eddie Barreto, Grant McIver, and brothers John and Roy Nicolas — are accused of operating a drug distribution network that allegedly supplied counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl to teenagers and young adults across the city. The operation reportedly ran between January and July 2023, using social media platforms and encrypted apps to market the drugs.
Among the three victims was 19-year-old Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez, an aspiring actor and grandson of Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro. Authorities said he died on July 2, 2023, after taking pills he purchased from a dealer tied to McIver, Epperson, and Barreto.
The same network is also linked to the deaths of 19-year-old Akira Stein — daughter of Blondie co-founder Chris Stein — and another unidentified teenager. Stein died on May 30, 2023, after ingesting fentanyl-laced pills allegedly bought from John and Roy Nicolas. The unidentified victim died on June 13, 2023, after obtaining counterfeit pills via an intermediary connected to McIver.
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All five defendants have been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, a charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum of life in prison.
“Through their alleged actions, these defendants left behind a trail of irreversible loss,” said Ricky Patel, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New York. “They cut short the lives of three teenagers who held boundless potential.”
The use of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl — an opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin — has surging consequences in the U.S., where drug overdoses remain a leading cause of death among young adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has repeatedly warned of the dangers posed by illicitly manufactured pills masquerading as prescription drugs.
After his grandson’s death, Robert De Niro described himself as “deeply distressed” and called Leandro a “beloved grandson” in a public statement. Chris Stein also responded to the arrests in a message shared on Instagram, saying, “Thank you for this hope of some justice for her.”
In a related case last year, a 20-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly selling De Niro-Rodriguez the counterfeit oxycodone pills believed to have caused his death.
The five men charged are due to appear in federal court in the coming days.