Former USS Abraham Lincoln crewmembers Michael Szramowski and Poomaihealani have pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to active-duty Navy sailors, leading to one sailor's overdose death in January 2023 and another near-fatal overdose a month earlier. The pair attempted to cover up the drug sales by instructing an involved sailor to mislead investigators and tried to persuade A.N.’s family to delete incriminating messages. Szramowski faces up to 40 years in prison, while Poomaihealani could receive up to 20 years; both are scheduled for sentencing on December 11, 2026.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In December 2022, former USS Abraham Lincoln crewmembers Daniel Szramowski and his wife, Crystal Szramowski, were involved in a drug ring on the nuclear supercarrier where they sold counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to active-duty Navy sailors. On December 30, 2022, sailor A.N. bought 10 of these fake pills from Daniel Szramowski and later died on January 3, 2023 due to a fentanyl overdose. Despite knowing about the fatal consequences, Szramowski continued to sell more counterfeit pills ten days after A.N.’s death. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is investigating this incident, highlighting the severe impact of drug trafficking within military environments.
Written for “Drug Ring On Nuclear Carrier” on 2026-09-18,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 17481 · logged 2026-09-18
Two former USS Abraham Lincoln crewmembers have pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to active-duty Navy sailors, including one sailor who later died from a fentanyl overdose.
asserted
who → plead → overdose
According to Szramowski’s plea agreement, he sold cocaine and pills labeled as “Percocet” to crewmates beginning no later than August 2022.
uncertain
he → accord → August
The pills were represented as oxycodone but were actually laced with fentanyl.
asserted
pills → represent → fentanyl
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asserted
Sign → sign → California
Szramowski did not disclose that to the buyers, according to the plea agreement.
uncertain
Szramowski → disclose → agreement
On Dec. 30, 2022, a USS Abraham Lincoln crewmember, identified in court records only as A.N., bought 10 pills from Szramowski.
asserted
crewmember → identify → Szramowski
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A.N. subsequently overdosed and died on Jan. 3, 2023.
asserted
A.N. → download → Jan.
A coroner later determined determined they died from ingesting fentanyl
asserted
they → determine → ?
Szramowski then continued selling pills from the same source.
asserted
Szramowski → continue → source
Ten days after A.N.’s death, Szramowski sold three more purported oxycodone pills to another active-duty sailor, identified as C.L.
asserted
Szramowski → sell → C.L.
The sailor suffered an apparent overdose and was hospitalized, but survived.
asserted
sailor → suffer → overdose
Szramowski and Poomaihealani later contacted C.L. and instructed him to tell investigators that he had received the pills from A.N., who had recently died from the same supply.
asserted
who → contact → supply
Poomaihealani admitted telling C.L. during a call:
“Look, do not . . . say ____ to NCIS okay, do not say anything to NCIS.
asserted
Poomaihealani → tell → NCIS
That’s all you need to do,” Poomaihealani admitted to telling C.L. “Just delete everything.”
asserted
Poomaihealani → ’ → everything
C.L. instead agreed to cooperate with investigators.
asserted
C.L. → agree → investigators
Szramowski also attempted to conceal the origin of the drugs by asking A.N.’s family to delete text messages he had sent to A.N.’s phone but the family declined.
asserted
family → attempt → phone
Szramowski told the family that the messages could ruin his future or get him criminally charged if they were not deleted.
uncertain
they → tell → future
According to the court records, Szramowski sold the counterfeit pills to at least two sailors while working with Poomaihealani.
uncertain
Szramowski → accord → Poomaihealani
Both defendants are listed as being from Hawaii.
asserted
defendants → list → Hawaii
Szramowski faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years, as well as a potential $5 million fine.
asserted
Szramowski → face → years
Poomaihealani faces up to 20 years in prison and a potential $1 million fine.
asserted
Poomaihealani → face → prison
Both defendants are scheduled to be sentenced by US District Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro on Dec. 11, 2026.
asserted
defendants → schedule → Dec.
Special agents and task force officers with HSI San Diego’s Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team led the investigation.
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agents → lead → investigation
The multiagency task force was established in August 2022 and focuses on disrupting and dismantling criminal organizations that smuggle and distribute fentanyl within San Diego County.
asserted
that → establish → County
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