Mac Miller: Man Linked to Rapper's Death Gets Hefty Prison Sentence
A man believed to have supplied the drugs that killed Mac Miller has been sentenced to 11 years in prison, according to a report by Los Angeles' KTLA news station. The man's name is Ryan Michael Reavis, and he was accused of selling counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl to a drug dealer who ultimately sold those pills to Miller. Officials announced his sentencing on Monday.
Reavis pleaded guilty to a single-count superseding information charging him with distribution of fentanyl back in November. The 38-year-old had disguised the opioid as oxycodone and sold a large supply of it to 30-year-old Cameron James Pettit, who in turn sold it to Miller. Reavis confessed that he knew the pills had been tampered with and likely contained fentanyl. Miller died of a drug overdose on Sept. 7, 2018 at the age of 26 – three days after the exchange between Reavis and Pettit.
Reavis has now been sentenced to 131 months in federal prison – just under 11 years. The U.S. Attorney's Office said that a related case against Pettit is pending, while another co-defendant, 48-year-old Stephen Andrew Walter, will be sentenced in the coming weeks.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is many, many times more potent than medical-grade morphine or street heroin. This makes it difficult for users to judge the dosage – especially if they're not aware of its presence in their supply. Because it is cheap and potent in small doses, it allows drug dealers to cut their products with benign filler or lace otherwise weak drugs.
According to the latest data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, synthetic opioids like fentanyl are the leading cause of overdose deaths in the U.S. right now. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration claims that as little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal to many people, depending on their body size, medical history and tolerance.
Mac Miller was one of the breakout stars of his generation in the hop hop music industry. He became a household name around 2010 with the mixtape K.I.D.S., but his music did not become dark and confessional until a few years later. He was open about his issues with substance abuse, addiction and depression.
On the day of his death, Miller was found dead in his home by his personal assistant. He was returned to his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and buried in a Jewish funeral. Fans mourned the rapper all over the world while his colleagues shared new stories about his kindness and generosity with other musicians. Miller's death still looms large in the music industry today.