The 20-year-old ‘Percocet Princess’ who allegedly sold the drug to Robert De Niro’s grandson before his death warned him that they might kill him before he sold him the pills.
Sophia Haley Marks, 20, is accused of selling drugs to 19-year-old Leandro De Niro Rodriguez shortly before she was found dead in her New York City apartment.
According to the New York Post, Marks, nicknamed ‘The Percocet Princess’, was arrested in an NYPD undercover sting operation around 6pm on Thursday night.
Legal documents say police found pills at the scene where Rodriguez died and used the teenager’s phone to find text messages with Marks, in which he asked to buy counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax in the days leading up to her death.
Marks told Rodriguez via direct text: ‘Do you really need them? I don’t want to kill you. I just don’t like serving them because they don’t script.’
Police have arrested a woman in connection with the July 2 ‘drug overdose’ death of acting legend Robert De Niro’s 19-year-old grandson Leandro.
According to the message, Marks and Rodriguez agreed to buy him three counterfeit pills and two tabs of Xanax for $105.
The 20-year-old dealer warned Rodriguez: ‘Don’t overdo it with them.’
Rodriguez took the drug on July 1 around 9 p.m. Less than five hours later, Marks checked in on her and asked: ‘Are you okay?’ But got no response.
The teenager’s lifeless body was found on a chair next to white powder inside a $950,000 one-bedroom apartment on Wall Street in New York on July 2.
Incredibly, according to TMZ, Marks continued to sell drugs after Leandro’s death, falling for an undercover NYPD sting.
An agent bought 25 pills from Marks on July 9 for Rs 500 and warned the buyer: ‘Please be careful with these. Do not do more than one at a time. My friend is dead.’
Similar pills were found near Rodriguez’s body.
Marks faces one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and alprazolam and two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
He faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
A police source told DailyMail.com that the substance was found near Rodriguez’s body and there were no signs of injury. He was found by a friend who hadn’t heard from him in days and was checking in on him, a police source told TMZ.
Residents of the building right next to the Wall Street subway stop told DailyMail.com they saw an ambulance and a fire truck pulling up Sunday afternoon.
Aspiring actor and director Leandro was following in his mother and grandfather’s career footsteps, landing a small role in 2018’s A Star Is Born as the son of Bradley Cooper’s best friend, George ‘Noodles’ Stone, played by Dave Chappelle. He also appeared in Cabaret Maxim in 2018.
His mother, Drena De Niro – an American actress who was adopted by De Niro after the actor married his mother, Diane Abbott, in 1976 – announced his death.
His father Carlos, a famous graffiti artist, and mother Drena, 51, shared a statement on Instagram on Monday as they reacted to Leandro’s untimely death.
‘It is with immense shock and sadness that we say goodbye to our beloved son Leo. We thank you for the love and support and for the privacy we are given at this time to process this unbearable grief.
‘You can’t spell love without Leo,’ Carlos added in the caption of the post, which featured sweet photos of Leandro at various ages.
The teenager’s lifeless body was found in a chair next to white powder inside a $950,000 one-bedroom apartment on Wall Street, New York.
Robert De Niro with his family after the death of his grandson Frank E. Campbell left the house
Drena was adopted by De Niro and adopted her surname in 1976 after the actor married her mother, Diane Abbott.
She had a relatively transient lifestyle thanks to her father’s vibrant career and divided her time between New York City, Los Angeles, and Italy.
Drena dropped out of school and decided to explore the arts, turning her hand to a whole host of careers, including modeling, DJing and fashion consulting.
She eventually decided to follow in De Niro’s footsteps and soon found her feet as an actress and filmmaker.
She made De Niro a grandfather in 2003 when she welcomed Leandro with her then-boyfriend Carlos Rodriguez.
Drena, who currently lives in New York, has since focused on directing and describes herself as trained in Muay Thai and martial arts.
At 51, Drena is five years older than Rafael, De Niro’s oldest biological child with Abbott. Now 46, he’s a Manhattan estate agent whose celebrity clients include Jon Bon Jovi and Renée Zellweger.
De Niro also has two children – twins Aaron and Julian, 27, – from his relationship with former model and actress Tookie Smith between 1988 and 1995. They were conceived through in vitro fertilization and delivered by a surrogate mother.
In 1998, he had a son, Elliott, 21, and in 2011, a daughter, Helen, 11, (also born via surrogate) during his stormy 20-year marriage to his second wife, former flight attendant Grace Hightower.
Aspiring actor and director Leandro followed in the career footsteps of his mother and grandfather
‘You can’t spell love without Leo,’ his father said in a social media tribute, which featured sweet photos of Leandro at various ages.
Robert De Niro is seen with his grandson Leandro
In May, the 79-year-old actor confirmed he welcomed his seventh child Gia Virginia with girlfriend Tiffany Chan, 43, who he has been linked to since summer 2021.
Leandro’s death comes after the Justice Department filed charges against several Chinese companies and executives for their alleged role in the US fentanyl trade.
Federal prosecutors say nearly all fentanyl precursors today are manufactured and shipped from China.
Criminal organizations such as the notorious Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico work with Chinese companies to obtain their ingredients for fentanyl.