Sofia Haley Marks arrested over suspected OD death of Leandro De Niro
An alleged drug dealer known as the “Percocet Princess” has been arrested in connection to the suspected overdose death of Robert De Niro’s 19-year-old grandson, The Post has learned.
Sofia Haley Marks, 20, allegedly sold Leandro De Niro Rodriguez drugs before he was found dead in his Financial District apartment on July 2, law enforcement sources told The Post.
She was arrested around 6 p.m. Thursday during an undercover sting operation conducted by the NYPD, Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security, the sources said.
Investigators were still searching her home late Thursday night.
A woman has been arrested in connection to the suspected overdose death of Robert De Niro’s 19-year-old grandson, Leandro. Kevin C. Downs for NY Post
She’s been federally charged with the distribution of narcotics and is expected to be arraigned in Manhattan federal court on Friday morning, sources said.
From the onset, police have been probing Leandro’s death as a possible overdose after a white powdery substance and drug paraphernalia were found near the teenager’s body.
Leandro’s mother, Drena De Niro, is Robert De Niro’s eldest daughter with his ex-wife Diahnne Abbott.
Sources have previously told The Post a white powdery substance and drug paraphernalia were found near the teenager’s body. @drenadeniro
Drena had previously disclosed she believes her son died after taking pills laced with fentanyl. The person who sold the tainted drugs to the teenager did so knowingly, she claimed.
“Someone sold him fentanyl-laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him,” she wrote on Instagram in response to a comment asking about the cause of her son’s death.
The suspect, whose identity is still under wraps, is believed to have sold Leandro De Niro Rodriguez drugs before he was found dead in his Financial District apartment on July 2. @robertdeniro_world/Instagram
“So for all these people still f–king around selling and buying this s–t, my son is gone forever,” she added.
The city medical examiner has yet to reveal an official cause of death, but sources said NYPD detectives in Narcotics Borough Manhattan South have been brought in to probe the case.
NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig told reporters last month that fentanyl is now “laced in probably 98% of the drugs” in the Big Apple.
Leandro was laid to rest Saturday at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel on the Upper East Side of New York City. Instagtram / Drena de Niro
“Fentanyl is in everything now, everything,” Essig said.
“Now people have low tolerance, that’s why they’re overdosing so much.”
Leandro was laid to rest Saturday at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel on the Upper East Side, where Judy Garland, Heath Ledger, John Lennon and other legendary entertainers’ funerals were also held.
Leandro’s mother, Drena De Niro, is Robert De Niro’s eldest daughter with his ex-wife Diahnne Abbott. GC Images
The somber event was star-studded, with multiple A-listers from De Niro’s past projects showing up to pay their respects.
The “Goodfellas” star told Page Six he was “deeply distressed” by the death of his “beloved grandson.”
Source: New York Post
