Brian Pirraglia, a 42-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s F Section, was indicted for first degree murder in connection to a fatal overdose from drugs he’s alleged to have sold the victim. According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Pirraglia laced the drugs with fentanyl, directly resulting in the victim’s death.
The tragedy occurred on February 8th, 2022 at around 3:18 pm. FCSO deputies were called to a residence on Blasdell Court in Palm Coast’s B Section about a possible overdose death. The home was reported in 2021 to be owned by Pirraglia, but records show it was sold in 2023. It was determined later on by a medical examiner that the victim died as a result of the fentanyl that’d been laced into another drug he was sold. The FCSO stated on Monday that what the other drug was is information that’s not yet available, but that it wasn’t determined to have been what killed the victim.
An investigation was launched into where the victim got the fentanyl-laced drugs, involving dozens of interviews, a number of leads, and hours reviewing evidence. The process was led by FCSO Major Case Unit Detective Adam Gossett. Multiple arrest warrants were obtained, and the process all led to the arrest of Brian Pirraglia on May 10th. He was initially charged with contempt of court on-hold for another jursidiction on March 22nd, and on Friday he was given the indictment for first degree murder via the unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.
This isn’t the first time Pirraglia has been associated with fentanyl possession in Flagler County. On September 7th, 2021, he was arrested alongside a tenant in the same Blasdell Court residence the fatal overdose would happen in five months later. Inside the residence, deputies seized 916 grams of fentanyl, along with 41.2 grams of a prescription-only antibiotic. According to the FCSO, the amount of fentanyl found in the home at that time was enough to kill 481,000 people.
Previous charges for Pirraglia in Flagler County include fentanyl possession, shoplifting, and driving with a suspended license. “I want to commend all our units and everyone who was involved in this investigation for their hard work and persistence to bring this poison peddler to justice,” Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly in a statement. “Years ago, I directed that all overdose deaths be investigated as a murder. If you are a drug dealer and sell a fatal dose of poison in Flagler County, even if it takes two years, we are going to get you. Hopefully, he will have a long time in state prison to think about the death he caused and the damage he has done to individuals and families selling his poison.”
