News

14 busted in Riverhead drug sweep

By Vera Chinese

Fourteen people were arrested and charged at Riverhead Police Headquarters in connection with an investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s East End Drug Task Force, according to police and court records.

As of now, authorities are declining to say what kind of drugs were involved or to give any additional details on the arrests, citing an ongoing investigation, but they do plan to make an announcement sometime early next week, said a spokesman for District Attorney Thomas Spota.

It is not clear if these arrests are related to the 23 people who were recently arrested in connection with a major drug trafficking ring that distributed heroin in neighborhoods throughout Suffolk County.

On Friday, Riverhead Police arrested Carlton Walker, 21, of Westhampton who was charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument and fourth-degree conspiracy. And Tremaine Kelly was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, police and court reports show.

The following people were also arrested on conspiracy charges Friday: Thomas Lacolla, 22, of Riverhead; Stanley Griffin, 30, of Riverhead; Brian Stokley, 25, of Flanders; Tina Green, 37, of Riverhead; Yolanda Miles, 23, of Riverhead; and Javid Yarsien, 19, of Patchogue.

Then on Monday, Riverhead Police arrested John Gayles, 25, of Riverhead and charged him with second-degree conspiracy, fourth-degree conspiracy, first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia, Riverhead Police said.

On Monday police also arrested the following individuals at police headquarters and charged them with second-degree conspiracy:

Grant Carle, 46, of Southampton
Dewayne Butler, 26, of Amityville
Kyle Harris, 47, of Riverhead
Allen Brown Jr., 19, of Southold
Mark Butler AKA Abdur Sabur 36, Mastic Beach

The East End Drug Task Force is made up of police from East End town and village departments as well as district attorney investigators.

It’s overseen by the DA’s office.

Vera Chinese has been the editor of northforker.com and northforker magazines since May 2014. Prior to that she spent two and a half years as a staff reporter for the New York Daily News. She joined the Riverhead News-Review as a staff writer in January 2010 and was named Associate Web Editor nine months later. She previously worked for the Southampton Press Western Edition and was named the third place 2008 Rookie Reporter of the Year by the New York Press Association. She graduated from Wagner College in 2006 where she received a bachelor's degree in English. She earned a master's degree in English education from New York University in 2007. She is a 2002 graduate of Eastport High School and has lived on the East End for more than 20 years.

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