A 72-year-old Hauppauge man has been indicted on top-level drug charges for allegedly selling fentanyl that authorities say led to the overdose death of a 53-year-old Mastic man, Suffolk County prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Michael Dirago was arraigned April 28, 2026, in Suffolk County Supreme Court on multiple felony charges, including Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree. Prosecutors allege he sold fentanyl in a transaction connected to the victim’s fatal overdose in September 2024.
According to investigators, Suffolk County Police responded to a Mastic home on September 14, 2024, after a 911 call reported an overdose. Officers found the man unresponsive in a bedroom. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy determined the cause of death was acute mixed drug intoxication involving fentanyl and xylazine. Xylazine, often referred to as “tranq,” is a veterinary sedative that has increasingly been found mixed into illicit drug supplies. Tramadol, another opioid pain medication, was also detected.
The case remained unresolved until February 2025, when the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office received a tip, prompting an investigation by the East End Drug Task Force.
Authorities said the victim had been in contact the day before his death with a phone number saved as “Mike Gangster.” Investigators later identified Dirago as the person allegedly using that name.
In early 2026, an undercover officer conducted a controlled purchase, allegedly buying 999 pills from Dirago. Laboratory testing confirmed the pills contained fentanyl.
On April 16, 2026, investigators executed a search warrant at Dirago’s Hauppauge residence. During the search, authorities recovered approximately 500 additional pills and $27,964 in cash.
Testing confirmed the seized pills also contained fentanyl.
Dirago now faces a series of felony charges, including:
- Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree (A-I felony)
- Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree (A-II felony)
- Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (Class B felony)
- Seven counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (Class B felonies)
If convicted on the top charge, Dirago faces up to 20 years in prison.
Judge Timothy P. Mazzei ordered him held on $1.5 million cash bail, $3 million bond, or a $30 million partially secured bond.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said the case highlights a gap in New York law, noting that prosecutors currently cannot charge drug dealers with manslaughter when a sale results in death.
Tierney renewed calls for “Chelsey’s Law,” proposed legislation that would allow such charges in fatal overdose cases.
Dirago is due back in court on May 12, 2026. He is being represented by the Legal Aid Society.
As with all criminal cases, the charges are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
