Woman Accused of Selling Drugs to Robert De Niro's Grandson Allegedly Did So After Friend's Death

Sofia H. Marks "sold a total of 50 suspected counterfeit oxycodone pills to an undercover police officer," according to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE

The woman arrested in connection with the overdose death of Robert De Niro’s grandson Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez had told an undercover police officer that a friend died prior to Leandro's death — and advised the officer to "please be careful" with the pills she was selling, according to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE.

According to the 10-page complaint — which details 20-year-old Sophia H. Marks' three federal narcotics charges, reported text messages between Marks and De Niro-Rodriguez, and the "50 suspected counterfeit oxycodone pills" she allegedly sold to an undercover officer — Marks told the undercover officer that they shouldn't "do more than one at a time" of her pills and that her "friend just died."

"Marks sold a total of 50 suspected counterfeit oxycodone pills to an undercover police officer," the complaint approved by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. King reads. "On July 13, following Marks' second sale to the undercover officer, she was arrested and found to be in possession of approximately 156 more suspected counterfeit oxycodone pills and approximately $1,500 in cash."

It goes on: "Shortly after her arrest, law enforcement agents conducted a search of her bedroom and recovered a large amount of cash."

As previously reported, a source told PEOPLE that Marks was arrested and accused of selling drugs to De Niro-Rodriguez, 19, who was found dead on July 2 inside a New York City apartment.

Related: Woman, 20, Arrested in Connection with Robert De Niro's Grandson's Drug-Related Death

The criminal complaint notes that Marks was held without bail on three federal narcotics charges after reportedly selling fake Oxycodone and Xanax laced with fentanyl to the famed actor's grandson (referred to in the complaint as just the "victim") the night before he was found dead. Her charges reportedly include three counts of Distribution of Narcotics after she "sold counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl on at least three separate occasions."

After the teen's death, Marks reportedly sold a total of 50 suspected counterfeit pills to an undercover officer, and was later arrested and found to be in possession of 156 more.

The complaint also references text exchanges reportedly between the victim and Marks on June 30, where he apparently asked to buy 3 more counterfeit oxycodone pills (or "30s"), and Marks texted him, "[d]o you [real]ly need them," and "I [don't] wanna kill u."

She later wrote she did not want to kill him "w[ith] the 30s," which was noted as a reference to the counterfeit pills, and that she didn't "like serving u them cuz they not script," apparently in reference to them not being prescription pills.

The following day, Marks reportedly followed up with De Niro-Rodriguez, and further discussed before she told him to not "go overboard" with the pills. At 8 p.m. ET on July 1, Marks allegedly wrote that she could sell the three apparent counterfeit oxycodone pills and two tablets of Xanax for $105, and eventually arranged for a car service to deliver the disguised drugs.

"At approximately 9:15 p.m., Marks confirmed that she delivered the drugs to the car driver by telling the victim, '[j]ust gave it to him,'" the criminal complaint reads. "At approximately 1 :50 a.m. on or about July 2, 2023, long after the drugs had been delivered to the victim, as described below, Marks texted the Victim, 'u good?' The victim never responded."

"... Based on my conversations with other law enforcement officers, my review of law enforcement records, and my conversations with witnesses, I have learned that on or about July 2, 2023 — that is, the day after the victim received three counterfeit oxycodone pills and Xanax from Sophia Marks, the defendant — the victim was found dead of a suspected overdose that likely was the result of fentanyl poisoning."

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As the complaint notes, one of the two blue "M30" pills recovered from the scene was allegedly determined to have contained fentanyl. An "initial toxicology screen" of De Niro-Rodriguez "returned a positive result for the presence of cocaine, fentanyl, and benzodiazepines in the victim's system," it adds.

Days later on July 6, an undercover officer began interacting with Marks via text, and she allegedly agreed to sell them 25 Percocet pills for $500. "Each pill the [officer] obtained from Marks on or about July 9, 2023, was a blue, round pill marked with 'M' on one side and '30' on the other side. Laboratory testing of one of the blue 'M30' pills Marks sold to the [officer] determined that it contained fentanyl."

On July 13, Marks met with the undercover officer again to sell them another 25 "30s" for $500. The second group of pills were also believed to be counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, and Marks was arrested shortly after the sale.

"During the sale, Marks talked to the [officer] again about her friend who died," the complaint continues.
"Marks said, in sum and substance, that she was snorting a pill off her phone, that her friend also snorted some of it off her phone, that she fell asleep, and that, when she woke up, her friend was non-responsive. Marks also told the [officer], in sum and substance, that tomorrow — that is, July 14, 2023 — would mark one month since her friend died."

After her arrest, Marks' parents consented to a search of their apartment, where she lives, and officers reportedly found a "large amount of cash," outside of the 156 pills they had already confiscated. Marks' trial is scheduled for Aug. 14.

A spokesperson for the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information previously told PEOPLE a male was found unconscious and unresponsive and was pronounced deceased by EMS at a downtown New York City apartment. On July 2, the late teenager’s mother Drena De Niro, who is Robert De Niro’s eldest daughter with his ex-wife Diahnne Abbott, penned a heartful message on Instagram to her “beautiful sweet angel.”

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