A drug bust in Middle Island left residents shocked over alleged fentanyl sales in their neighborhood, as well as the disturbing discovery of animals living in squalor.

Neighbors at an apartment complex on Tudor Lane say they never imagined such activity was happening so close to home.

According to prosecutors, 44-year-old Troy Daniels was arrested for allegedly selling fentanyl to undercover officers in the parking lot on more than one occasion. Chief Assistant District Attorney Allen Bode called fentanyl “our biggest threat in the drug world,” noting that as little as 2 milligrams, the weight of a mosquito, can be lethal.

Officials say Daniels sold enough of the drug to potentially kill 28,000 people.

When police searched his home, they found four dogs living in deplorable conditions. Bode said three puppies were confined in a crate with no food or water, forced to live in their own feces. The District Attorney’s Office also reported that Daniels’ girlfriend, Toni Gerwycki, was arrested on animal cruelty charges and later released.

Daniels faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

John LoTurco, Daniels' attorney, released the following statement:

"We appreciate the serious allegations contained within the indictment. Accordingly, our law firm will carefully scrutinize the evidence to evaluate our next steps in defending our client. Those steps may include filing motions requesting Pretrial Hearings to seek suppression of evidence. Despite the allegations, our client deserves the presumption of innocence that our criminal justice system affords him, and the burden of proof of beyond a reasonable doubt remains solely with the prosecution."