A 62-year-old Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty to selling fentanyl, heroin and cocaine to undercover officers across Staten Island, admitting to a scheme that unfolded over four separate deals in just three months. Robert Cappello is now set to spend eight years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision, a sentence scheduled to be handed down on Nov. 9.
Cappello pleaded guilty, according to SILive.com. The DA’s Office weekly newsletter described Cappello as a “professional poison peddler” who sold significant quantities of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine to undercover officers on four occasions over three months. A post on X
by McMahon's office noted Cappello’s guilty plea and upcoming sentence.
Cappello, who was 61 at the time, was arrested on Aug. 22, 2025, after allegedly selling drugs to an undercover officer in several Staten Island neighborhoods, the outlet reports. The investigation into Cappello began after authorities alleged he was connected to a fatal overdose on Staten Island, though the exact circumstances of that case have not been detailed publicly.
A Borough Prosecutor's Warning
McMahon has focused on drug enforcement on Staten Island, where the drug epidemic remains a concern. Cappello is set to receive an eight-year prison sentence.
Cappello is scheduled to receive an eight-year prison sentence.
Beyond the Staten Island case, Cappello is also facing an 11-count indictment in Brooklyn charging him with controlled-substance possession and drug-paraphernalia offenses, the same report notes.
How It Compares to a Recent Eltingville Case
Cappello's looming sentence stands in contrast to another recent Staten Island narcotics case. Richard Matos, 49, of Eltingville, pleaded guilty to the same top count — second-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance — after conducting eight fentanyl deals with an undercover detective between November 2024 and March 2025, per the outlet's earlier reporting. Matos was also accused of a heroin sale.
Despite a comparable charge, Matos accepted a court offer carrying a five-year sentence, a term McMahon's office publicly objected to, with prosecutors arguing he deserved harsher punishment.
Tracking the Broader Opioid Crisis
For Staten Islanders, the opioid and overdose crisis remains a pressing concern.
