A Westbury man has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and weapons charges after investigators uncovered narcotics, explosive materials and a powerful synthetic opioid inside his home, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.
Anthony Gianatiempo, 34, pleaded guilty June 2 before Judge Caryn Fink to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the First Degree.
He is expected to be sentenced to six years in prison and five years of post-release supervision on Aug. 7, 2026.
According to prosecutors, the investigation began on June 18, 2025, when Gianatiempo traveled from his Westbury residence to Cantiague Park on an electric bicycle and sold narcotics to an individual in exchange for $820.
Authorities said the drugs sold included mixtures containing heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, ketamine and alprazolam. One of the substances also contained xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer commonly known as “tranq.”
The investigation later led to the execution of a search warrant at Gianatiempo’s Cantiague Lane residence on Aug. 5, 2025.
Prosecutors said investigators recovered 63 grams of heroin, 39 grams of fentanyl, 69 grams of methamphetamine, cocaine and ketamine from the home.
Authorities also found explosive materials in the basement, including cardboard tubes fitted with fuses, a bottle wrapped with electrical tape and a fuse, and smokeless powder attached to a bedroom door.
The search also uncovered counterfeit U.S. currency, according to prosecutors.
Investigators additionally recovered approximately 15 grams of N-Pyrrolidino Isotonitazene, a powerful synthetic opioid known as a nitazene compound.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said the substance remains largely unregulated under current New York law despite growing concerns about its potency.
“This defendant had a dangerous assortment of narcotics and explosives that posed a threat to his Westbury neighbors and all residents of Nassau County,” Donnelly said.
Donnelly also warned that nitazenes are becoming increasingly prevalent in overdose deaths nationwide and urged state lawmakers to revisit New York’s controlled substance laws.
Gianatiempo was arrested on Aug. 5, 2025.
The case was investigated by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the Nassau County Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Photos: NCPD
