While the circumstances surrounding rapper Mac Miller’s death have been the subject of much scrutiny in the year since his passing — Miller died on September 7, 2018 — it now appears that a new detail of the matter is coming to light.
As KTLA5 details, 23-year-old Cameron James Pettit of Hollywood Hills was arrested Wednesday in association with the rapper’s overdose-related death. Pettit is being accused of selling counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs to Miller, which reportedly contained fentanyl. The DEA reports that Pettit faces a federal count of distribution of a controlled substance and faces up to 20 years in prison.
According to an affidavit, Pettit sold Miller counterfeit oxycodone pills on September 5, 2018, that were laced with fentanyl. Miller was found unresponsive in his home two days later and declared dead the afternoon of September 7. Per Rolling Stone , Miller’s passing was reported to be an accidental overdose, and his toxicology report revealed a combination of fentanyl, cocaine, and alcohol in his system.
“Fentanyl disguised as a genuine pharmaceutical is a killer — which is being proven every single day in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna, adding that law enforcement is leading an aggressive attack on drug dealers trafficking fentanyl.
The affidavit also reveals that Pettit commented on Miller’s passing on Instagram and said that he was going to avoid posting anything about the situation to “be smart.” He also reportedly messaged a friend shortly after Miller’s death saying that he believes he will likely “die in jail.”
BREAKING: DEA announces arrest of a Hollywood Hills man in connection to death of rapper #MacMiller . 23 y/o Cameron Pettit accused of selling #MacMiller counterfeit drugs containing fentanyl two days before he died of an overdose. Oxycodone, cocaine, & Xanax mentioned. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/u1ojBsCoBU
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 4, 2019
Miller spoke openly about his struggles with addiction and addressed this ongoing battle in his music. His 2014 mixtape Faces was known as his dark, personal exploration of his addiction issues, and Entertainment Tonight reports that Miller admitted it was “super depressing.”
“It just eats at your mind, doing drugs every single day, every second. It’s rough on your body. That was the plan with Faces’ [closing song]. ‘Grand Finale’ was supposed to be the last song I made on earth. I don’t feel that way as much anymore.”
During a 2015 interview with Larry King, Miller revealed that he believed his depression and drug use were intertwined and said he thought it started with success.
“Fame is tricky because you read what’s said about you, and you know what you know to be true, and the lines start to blur,” he said.
Miller’s most recent album, Swimming , was released a little more than one month before his untimely death.
Per Complex , fentanyl was also connected to the deaths of Tom Petty, Lil Peep, and Prince.
