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Three men charged with providing drugs that killed rapper Mac Miller

Mac Miller performs in Philadelphia in 2013
Rapper Mac Miller performs in Philadelphia in 2013.
(Owen Sweeney / Invision/Associated Press)
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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 conspiracy 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 offenses. Wednesday’s charges add the allegation that their drugs led to Miller’s death.

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All have been arrested in recent weeks and remain in custody. Attorneys for Pettit and Walter had not responded to emails seeking comment. It’s unclear whether Reavis has a lawyer.

Miller, 26, was found dead in his Studio City home Sept. 7, 2018. He died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a powerful opioid, along with cocaine and alcohol, according to the Los Angeles County coroner. Fentanyl has contributed to an epidemic of opioid abuse in the U.S. that has claimed thousands of lives, including those of other musicians, such as Prince.

Mac Miller was undeniably a child of the internet.

Sept. 9, 2018

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.

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Pettit and Walter were scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 10 on the new charges. 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.

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