A 62-year-old Pennsylvania man pled guilty to selling fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine to undercover detectives on Staten Island, admitting to a plan that involved four distinct transactions in only three months. Robert Cappello is now planned to serve eight years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision, with the sentence to be handed down on November 9.
Cappello has pled guilty, according to SILive.com. The DA’s Office weekly bulletin portrayed Cappello as a “professional poison peddler” who sold considerable amounts of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine to undercover detectives four times in three months. A post about X.
Cappello, who was 61 at the time, was arrested on August 22, 2025, for allegedly selling cocaine to an undercover police officer in multiple Staten Island communities, the site reported. The inquiry against Cappello began after officials said he was involved in a fatal overdose on Staten Island, albeit the particular details of that case have not been made public.
McMahon has concentrated on drug enforcement in Staten Island, where the drug problem is still a concern. Cappello faces an eight-year prison sentence.
In addition to the Staten Island case, Cappello is facing an 11-count indictment in Brooklyn on charges of controlled substance possession and drug paraphernalia, according to the same newspaper.
Cappello’s looming sentence contrasts with another recent Staten Island narcotics case. Richard Matos, 49, of Eltingville, pled guilty to the same top felony—second-degree illegal sale of a controlled substance—after performing eight fentanyl transactions with an undercover officer between November 2024 and March 2025, according to the outlet’s previous reporting. Matos was also charged with selling heroin.
Despite a comparable accusation, Matos accepted a court offer of a five-year sentence, which McMahon’s office publicly opposed, with prosecutors believing that he deserved heavier penalties.
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