Featured Story

DA: Fourteen arrested in ‘dismantling’ of heroin, cocaine distribution networks

thomas Spota

Update: The following people have been arrested in connection with the investigation announced Tuesday.

Included is their name, age, residence, the charges they currently face and their date of arrest:

• Ronald “Big App” Paschall, 43, of Northampton. First-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance; two counts of third-degree unlawful fleeing from a police officer in a motor vehicle. Arrested July 6.

• Jerome “Sweets” Carey, 31, of Sound Beach. First-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Arrested July 6.

• John “Mann” Miles, 44, of Mastic. First-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Arrested July 6.

• Cory Woodley, 36, of Flanders. First-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Arrested June 14.

• Herbert Prophet, 33, of Uniondale. First-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Arrested June 14.

• Reynaldo DeJesusMelo, 39, of the Bronx. First-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Arrested June 29.

• Jimmy Dean, 38, of Baiting Hollow. Two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance; second-degree criminal possession of a weapon; fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property; two counts of second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia. Arrested July 13.

• Dwayne Harris, 31, of Riverhead. Three counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance; fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance; second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia. Arrested July 13.

• Eric “E” Thomas, 32, of Riverhead. Two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance; second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia. Arrested July 14.

• Lakiwa Kelly, 30, of Shirley. Third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance; fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance; second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia. Arrested July 16.

• Walter James, 42, of Riverhead. Three counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Arrested July 16.

• Rosemary Hinchy Brown, 51, of Riverhead. Third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance; fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance; second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia. Arrested July 16.

• Tiffany Norris, 33, of Riverhead. Three counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Arrested July 16.

• Shawanna James, 43, of Flanders. Seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Arrested July 16.

The Riverhead News-Review carried the DA’s announcement live on its Facebook page. Click below to watch the video.

Original story:

Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota is expected to announce the results of an East End Drug Task Force investigation that led to the arrest of 14 members of cocaine and heroin distribution networks operating across the North and South forks, his office announced Monday evening.

Mr. Spota is expected to be joined by East End law enforcement officers for the announcement at the Arthur Cromarty Criminal Courthouse in Riverhead at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

While the names of those arrested have not yet been released, Mr. Spota’s office announced that 14 people, including three members of the Bloods street gang, have been arrested so far and more arrests are pending. Multiple kilograms of cocaine and heroin were seized during the execution of more than one dozen search warrants, according to the DA’s announcement.

One dealer made a weekly purchase of a kilo of cocaine in New York City to sell to street dealers who in turn sold cocaine to users in East Hampton, Riverhead, Southampton and Southold Towns, the release states. The heroin network was run by local members of the Bloods street gang and both distribution networks operated primarily in the towns of Riverhead and Southampton, but also included street sales in Port Jefferson, Mount Sinai, Sound Beach, Mastic, Shirley, and the Moriches area.

“Exhibits at the news conference will include kilograms of heroin and cocaine, firearms, and traps devised by drug dealers to hide cocaine, heroin and, in one instance, $95,000 in cash found by investigators hidden in a trap in a vehicle’s front seat console, and a trap in an aquarium stand found in an alleged dealer’s house,” the DA’s office announced.