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An 11-count indictment was unsealed in Central Islip federal court charging Rashaan Corbin, of Mastic, Andre Turner, Sharied Legette, Taieek Smith, all of Wyandanch, Alex Murphy, of West Babylon, and Miles LaMarca, of Babylon, for allegedly distributing heroin, fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, cocaine or crack cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said that the six often used guns to “protect their turf” and drugs from members of other gangs. During the course of the investigation, investigators seized more than $120,000 in cash, five semi-automatic handguns, drug paraphernalia and materials used to package the drugs for distribution.
“Gang activity often goes hand-in-hand with illicit drug sales and the illegal possession of weapons, which are used as protection for narcotics operations like this one,” Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini stated. “Make no mistake: these defendants, who are members and associates of the violent Bloods street gang, were driving crime in a variety of ways in our communities, and these indictments put an end to that enterprise.”
If convicted, Corbin, 23, Legette, 22, Murphy, 33, and Smith, 23, face a maximum of life in prison; Lamarca, 21, and Turner, 29, face up to 40 years in prison.
“Members and associates of street gangs go to great lengths to defend their respective territories, at times engaging in acts of violence to prevent others from invading the areas they control. When narcotics are involved, the stakes are even higher. The people of our communities deserve to live in a society that is free from violence. The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate these cases and work together with our partners in disrupting and dismantling this type of illegal activity,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William Sweeney.
Donoghue added, “Drugs, gangs and guns are a dangerous combination, putting our communities at grave risk. This Office and our federal and state law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to remove drug-dealing gang members from our streets.”
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