MINEOLA, N.Y. - - 36 people have been indicted for their alleged involvement in a heroin ring that operated along Rte. 110 in Nassau and Suffolk counties, marking one of the largest narcotics takedowns in Long Island history. James J. Hunt, Special Agent in Charge of New York’s Drug Enforcement Division and Nassau County District (NCDA) Madeline Singas announced the indictments.
The majority of the individuals have been arrested and arraigned on various felony charges ranging from Operating as a Major Trafficker, Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy.
Five additional defendants were arrested today as a result of search warrants that were executed.
As a result of today’s search warrants, eights guns have been recovered including pistols, two shotguns and one AK-47 assault rifle, as well as substantial quantities of heroin and cocaine, and more than a dozen automobiles.
The arrests are the result of a nine-month-long investigation into local heroin distributors by the NCDA, the Nassau County Police Department, Suffolk County Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-New York Division, New York State Police, and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office.
“Heroin is more potent and deadlier now than it has ever been in New York," said Hunt stated. “This organization was profiting off heroin’s potency by selling heroin bundles from locations, including hotels, along Route 110 that paved drug corridors to households in Nassau and Suffolk Counties."
“Drug dealing networks usually operate in the shadows and conduct their business behind closed doors, but this group allegedly counted cash, measured and packaged heroin in broad daylight, while parked in luxury cars on residential streets," said Singas. “We will not allow drug dealers to turn one of Long Island’s busiest thoroughfares in to a heroin highway. I thank all of our law enforcement partners for their outstanding work in this investigation, and for their commitment to confronting this epidemic with every tool at our disposal."
“Today’s arrests culminate an intense multi-jurisdictional investigation with the Long Island Heroin Task Force to eradicate drugs and those who sell them from our neighborhoods," said Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter. “These arrests should also serve as a reminder to criminals that we will use every legal means to apprehend offenders and bring them to justice. I would like to thank all of the law enforcement professionals and their associated agencies for their dedication and hard work during this investigation and congratulate everyone for a job well done."
“The number of arrests, amount of drugs and illegal weapons taken off of our streets as a result of the warrants executed today is yet another blow to drug dealers in our region," added Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy D. Sini. “These are exactly the accomplishments we envisioned when we created the Long Island Heroin Task Force. We will continue to diligently work together to take down drug dealers, because we know they, as well as the disease of addiction, do not recognize county borders. A message to those drug dealers who exact untold harm on our communities: if you are dealing drugs in this region, we are coming for you!"
“Thanks to the hard work and partnership of law enforcement at the state, federal and local level, we are taking out a large heroin trafficking operation that was supplying these dangerous drugs throughout the region," said New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II. “We will continue to aggressively pursue criminals who profit from illegal drugs at the expense of the safety and security of our neighborhoods."
DA Singas said that, according to the 59-count indictment, Elvin Rosario, aka “Fling," 27, Reinardo Adames, aka “Tito," 28, and another indicted individual, are members of a drug distribution crew that supplied large quantities of heroin to 15 members of a group dubbed “The 110 Crew" by investigators. The three supplying defendants, known as the “Papis," allegedly stored the drugs at homes in Farmingdale, Lindenhurst, West Babylon and Bay Shore.
According to the indictment, the Papis sold sleeves of heroin - which are ten bundles or 100 individual bags - to the 110 Crew.
The investigation is named “Operation Bundle Up" for the quantity of heroin bundles that were allegedly sold.
Members of the 110 Crew are allegedly members of the “Neez" gang, a subset of the notorious Bloods gang.
This group allegedly ran an elaborate narcotics operation, selling heroin in bundles to hundreds of customers a day along Route 110 outside of hotels, restaurants, gas stations, strip malls, name-brand retailers, coffee shops and other locations at all hours of the day.
These defendants allegedly sold to 18 individual resellers, who have no organizational connection to each other or their suppliers.
The Papis allegedly made hundreds of sales a week, sometimes earning as much as $8,000 during a seven-day period. Estimates are that the 110 Crew allegedly sold approximately 4,000 individual bags of heroin a week, with an estimated value of $40,000 to $50,000.
Six of the defendants are charged with Operating as a Major Trafficker, which carries a sentence of 15 years to life. Specifically, Rosario and Adames allegedly supplied large quantities of heroin and cocaine to other major traffickers here on Long Island - including Branden Harris, aka “Doughboy," Tashawn Combs, aka “Tata," Herman Monroe, aka “Chief," and Kenneth Nesmith aka “Nee" - all of whom sold drugs daily to customers from Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
These dealers - as well as the other defendants charged in the indictment - allegedly cut, packaged and redistributed the narcotics for their own personal profit.
Assistant District Attorney Jhounelle Cunningham, Deputy Bureau Chief Christiana McSloy, and Chief Edward Friedenthal of Singas’ Special Operations, Narcotics and Gangs Bureau, are prosecuting the case.
The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.
Arraigned defendants addendum:
* Elvin Rosario aka “Fling," 27, of Copiague, N.Y.
* Reinardo Adames aka “Tito," 28, of West Babylon, N.Y.
* Tashawn Combs aka “Tata," aka “Max," 27 of Copiague, N.Y.
* Herman Monroe aka “Chief," aka "A.J.," 27, of North Amityville, N.Y.
* Branden Harris aka “Doughboy," aka “Nick," 27, of North Amityville, N.Y.
* Kenneth Nesmith aka “Nee," 29, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
* Joseph Ferguson aka “Jojo," 29, of North Amityville, N.Y.
* Damien Winbush aka “Big Bank," 34, of Massapequa, N.Y.
* Cashawn Winbush aka “Tre," 31, of Amityville, N.Y.
* Matthew Casale, 36, of Levittown, N.Y.
* Douglas Blachly, 28, of Dix Hills, N.Y.
* Theresa Detillio, 46, of West Babylon, N.Y.
* Irene Higgins, 36, of East Meadow, N.Y.
