By Canadian Press

3 charged with providing drugs that killed rapper Mac Miller

Oct 2, 2019 | 2:42 PM

LOS ANGELES — Three men arrested during the investigation into rapper Mac Miller’s deadly overdose last year have now been charged with providing the drugs that killed him, U.S. prosecutors said Wednesday.

A grand jury indictment that was unsealed in Los Angeles accuses the men of conspiring and distributing cocaine and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl that caused Miller’s death in September 2018.

Cameron Pettit, Stephen Walter and Ryan Reavis were previously charged with drug-related offences. Wednesday’s charges add the allegation that their drugs led to Miller’s death.

All have been arrested in recent weeks and remain in custody. Attorneys for Pettit and Walter have been sent emails seeking their response. It’s unclear whether Reavis has a lawyer.

Miller, 26, died of an accidental overdose of the powerful opioid fentanyl, along with cocaine and alcohol. Fentanyl has contributed to an epidemic of opioid abuse in the U.S. that has claimed thousands of lives, including those of other musicians, like Prince.

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The men face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and the potential for life without parole if convicted of either of the charges related to Miller’s death.

Pettit and Walter were scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges on Oct. 10. Reavis, who was arrested last week in Arizona, does not have an arraignment date set yet.

The indictment alleges the men continued to distribute drugs through August 2019.

Miller’s beats and rhymes, with their frank expressions of drug use and depression, made him a beloved and respected figure among fans, including some of the biggest names in hip-hop.

The Pittsburgh native, whose real name was Malcolm James Myers McCormick, was in a two-year relationship with Ariana Grande that ended earlier in 2018. After his death, the pop star posted a loving video of him on her Instagram page and released a song, “Thank U Next,” that affectionately mentioned him.

Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press