Repeat Felon Gets 45 Years For Fentanyl, Cocaine Sales

A career criminal with a rap sheet stretching back 17 years is headed back behind bars for 45 years after selling deadly fentanyl and cocaine to an undercover Suffolk County police officer while on parole.

Nicholas Cox, 36, of Port Jefferson Station, was sentenced October 28 after a jury convicted him in September of multiple felony drug charges.

Cox, a repeat violent felony offender with a dozen prior convictions dating back to 2009, was on parole when he conducted four drug sales to an undercover officer between February 2 and February 20, 2023.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney blasted New York's revolving-door criminal justice system.

“New York State needs to stop the revolving door of recidivism and return to intensive monitoring of parolees to keep the public safe, particularly where those parolees are violent felony offenders like this defendant with a record going back 17 years,” Tierney said.

On February 22, 2023, Suffolk police raided Cox's apartment, seizing more than half an ounce of cocaine, fentanyl and $9,247 in cash, including $730 previously used by the undercover officer.

Investigators also recovered a digital scale, packaging materials and other drug paraphernalia.

Cox's lengthy criminal history includes robbery, assault, attempted assault, resisting arrest, grand larceny and drug possession.

His record includes violent felony convictions, and prosecutors said he also faces three pending public lewdness cases.

On September 24, a jury convicted Cox of six felony drug sale counts, eight felony drug possession counts and three misdemeanor charges.

Supreme Court Justice Steven Pilewski imposed the 45-year prison sentence, followed by three years of post-release supervision.

Cox has remained incarcerated since his February 2023 arrest.

The Suffolk County Police Department's Narcotics Section investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Robert Kerr and Lauren Golombek.