One of three men charged in connection with Mac Miller’s fatal overdose has agreed to plead guilty and accept a 17-year prison sentence for supplying the fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills sold to the rising rapper shortly before his 2018 death.
Under the terms of the deal, prosecutors are waiving the convicted Stephen Andrew Walter’s grand jury indictment and, instead, allowing him to plead to a single new charge of fentanyl distribution. Walter’s was previously was indicted on more serious charges including fentanyl distribution resulting in death and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance resulting in death.
According to Walter’s lawyer William S. Harris: “The new charge takes out the death allegation” “It’s a binding plea agreement for 17 years [in prison]. The judge will either accept or reject it. If he accepts it, there will be no power to sentence my client to more. If he rejects it, there’s no deal.”
Assuming the proposed deal is accepted, Walter, now 48 years old, is set to appear at a November 8 hearing in order to change his plea and in a written statement attached to the agreement filed in federal court in Los Angeles, Stephen Walter confirmed: “I am pleading guilty because I am guilty of the charge and wish to take advantage of the promises set forth in this agreement.”
One of his co-defendants in the case, Cameron James Pettit, also reached a plea agreement that has, thus far, been sealed and the third co-defendant, Ryan Michael Reavis, is heading to a trial set for March 1.
According to his new deal, Walter confirmed that he “knowingly” directed Reavis to deliver fentanyl in the form of counterfeit oxycodone pills to Pettit on Sept. 4, 2018. A short time later, Pettit distributed the pills to Miller, stated the paperwork.
Born Malcolm James McCormick, Mac Miller was 26 years old when he passed away at his home in Los Angeles on Sept. 7, 2018, from a lethal cocktail of fentanyl, cocaine, and alcohol, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner and Coroner.
The successful rapper, who was open about his struggles with addiction, was last seen alive by his assistant around 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 6, 2018 when he was found unresponsive the next morning when he went to check in on him.
According to the indictment, Pettit had agreed on Sept. 4 to supply McCormick with 10 oxycodone pills called “blues” as well as cocaine and the sedative Xanax. When he made the delivery on Sept. 5, Pettit allegedly gave McCormick the counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl instead.
Investigators previously said they believe McCormick died after snorting the counterfeit pills.
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: Nicolas Völcker