CENTRAL ISLIP, NY – James Tunstall, a 48-year-old Long Island man, was convicted today of distributing the heroin that claimed the life of 24-year-old Sergio Niko Alvarez on October 29, 2018, in Jericho, New York. The verdict, delivered by a federal jury after a grueling five-day trial before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack, marks a significant, if belated, reckoning in a case steeped in addiction and callous disregard for human life.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA’s New York Division, jointly announced the conviction. Peace minced no words, stating, “Tunstall, an admitted drug dealer, is held responsible by today’s verdict for selling heroin that killed a young man on Long Island, an all-too-frequent occurrence…due to the callous disregard for life displayed by the defendant and others.”
The trial revealed a disturbing pattern of behavior. Tunstall wasn’t simply slinging dope on the street; he actively preyed on vulnerability. Evidence showed he met Alvarez at an outpatient rehabilitation facility in Mineola – then *sold him cocaine in the bathroom*. His co-defendant, Jay Tenem, a fellow addict met in the same program, acted as the delivery boy, receiving his own fix in exchange for transporting the fatal dose of heroin to Alvarez on October 28, 2018. Tenem collected Alvarez’s payment and delivered the cash directly back to Tunstall. The next morning, Alvarez was found dead in his bedroom, the victim of heroin intoxication, by his own mother.
Crucially, the prosecution presented text messages between Tunstall and Alvarez, detailing drug negotiations and, chillingly, Tunstall’s own admission: “I don’t do this for fun.” These messages painted a clear picture of a calculated transaction, devoid of any empathy. Tenem previously pleaded guilty in February 2019 to distributing the heroin that caused Alvarez’s death and is currently awaiting sentencing. Tunstall initially pleaded guilty in July 2021 to conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine, receiving a 20-year sentence in December 2022. This latest conviction adds the weight of Alvarez’s death to his crimes.
“This conviction is a sobering reminder of the devastation and senseless loss of life inflicted by drug traffickers,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Tarentino. “DEA and our task forces are committed to bringing to justice those responsible for fueling drug overdose and poisonings and defeating the drug cartel’s lethal criminal empires.” The case was handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division, with Assistant United States Attorneys Justina Geraci and Samantha Alessi leading the prosecution, assisted by Paralegal Specialist Michael Compitello.
With this conviction, James Tunstall now faces up to life in prison for causing the death of Sergio Niko Alvarez. The E.D.N.Y. Docket No. is 18-CR-675 (JMA). While no sentence can bring Alvarez back, the verdict sends a grim message to those who profit from peddling poison on Long Island: accountability, however delayed, will eventually come.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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