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DEA

Hudson Valley Fire Department Lieutenant Admits To Being Major Drug Trafficker Hudson Valley Fire Department Lieutenant Admits To Being Major Drug Trafficker
Hudson Valley Fire Department Lieutenant Admits To Being Major Drug Trafficker A former Hudson Valley fire lieutenant has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to operating as a major drug trafficker. Orange County resident Paul Smith, age 52, of Deerpark, was sentenced to 10 to 25 years on Wednesday, Nov. 16, said Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler. Smith, a paid lieutenant with the city of Middletown Fire Department at the time of his arrest, was also sentenced to five years post-release supervision, the DA's Office said. The former firefighter was nabbed during an undercover investigation dubbed “Operation Bread, White, and Blues," in February …
Warning Issued In Hudson Valley For Counterfeit Oxycodone Pills Containing Fentanyl Warning Issued In Hudson Valley For Counterfeit Oxycodone Pills Containing Fentanyl
Warning Issued In Hudson Valley For Counterfeit Oxycodone Pills Containing Fentanyl Authorities in the Hudson Valley are warning residents of the increased presence of fentanyl in the area, in particular counterfeit 30mg oxycodone pills containing the dangerous drug. Since January 2022, the Dutchess County Drug Task Force has seized several thousand counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl through investigations conducted in the Dutchess County area, Det. Sgt. Adam Harris, coordinator of the task force. In September 2022 alone, the task force seized more than 2,000 counterfeit prescription pills. These pills are typically light blue in color and imprinted “M-30” …
4 Charged, 31 Ghost Guns Seized In Multi-Agency Westchester Bust 4 Charged, 31 Ghost Guns Seized In Multi-Agency Westchester Bust
4 Charged, 31 Ghost Guns Seized In Multi-Agency Westchester Bust Four people have been charged and 31 guns ghost guns seized following a multi-agency investigation into a pipeline that brought guns from Washington, DC to Westchester County. The four were charged following their arrest in June for trafficking of illegal firearms from Washington, DC to Westchester between April and June, said Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah. In addition to the arrests, authorities seized 31 ghost guns, as well as two conventional firearms, that were being transported to Yonkers, the DA's office said. The joint investigation focused…
Men Charged With Murder For Roles In Broad Daylight Shooting Near Westchester School Men Charged With Murder For Roles In Broad Daylight Shooting Near Westchester School
Men Charged With Murder For Roles In Broad Daylight Shooting Near Westchester School Two members of a racketeering enterprise are facing charges - including murder - for their roles in a brazen fatal daytime shooting in Westchester, federal officials announced. James Bazemore - also known as “TJ” - has been charged with murder for the April 2018 murder of Tasheen Williams in Mount Vernon, while his co-conspirator, Jared “Jay” Mujaahid is facing charges for providing him with the deadly weapon used in the act. According to the indictment, Bazemore and Mujaahid were members or associates of a racketeering enterprise known as Big Paper. “In order to fund the enterprise, prot…
Dentist In Hudson Valley Admits To Fraudulently Obtaining Oxycodone For Her Own Use Dentist In Hudson Valley Admits To Fraudulently Obtaining Oxycodone For Her Own Use
Dentist In Hudson Valley Admits To Fraudulently Obtaining Oxycodone For Her Own Use A dentist from the Hudson Valley has pleaded guilty to obtaining oxycodone for her own use. Ulster County resident Vivian Letizia, age 63, of Stone Ridge, made the plea on Friday, April 15, according to US Attorney Carla Freedman. In pleading guilty, Letizia admitted that, in December 2019, she fraudulently submitted a prescription for oxycodone for one of her dentistry patients using that patient’s name and date of birth, the US Attorney's Office said. Letizia then obtained the oxycodone from a pharmacy in Woodstock, for her own consumption. At the time Letizia submitted the prescription …
Feds, Police In Westchester, Seize More Than A Ton Of Cocaine In The Area Feds, Police In Westchester, Seize More Than A Ton Of Cocaine In The Area
Feds, Police In Westchester, Seize More Than A Ton Of Cocaine In The Area Three men are facing charges for their roles in a multi-million dollar narcotics conspiracy ring that led to the seizure of more than a ton of cocaine, officials announced. Jorge Aponte-Guzman, age 33, Nelson Agramonte,-Minaya, age 37, and Carlos Maisonet-Lopez, age 32, have been indicted in federal court this week following their arrests in September that led to the seizure of 920 kilograms of cocaine. 
“A seizure of this magnitude underscores the critical importance of working together with our federal and local law enforcement partners in the DEA Westchester Task Force,” Westchester Cou…
Westchester Man Accused Of Running Drug Deliveries That Led To Fatal ODs Westchester Man Accused Of Running Drug Deliveries That Led To Fatal ODs
Westchester Man Accused Of Running Drug Deliveries That Led To Fatal ODs Two men operating a narcotics delivery business in downstate New York, including one from Westchester, have been arrested for their roles in running the service, which led to multiple fatal drug overdoses. Yonkers resident Jose Luis Tejada Aybar, age 39, and Allen Alexis Abisada Guzman, age 40, of the Bronx were charged with narcotics conspiracy following three fatal overdoses directly tied to their delivery service. Manhattan US Attorney Audrey Strauss said that it is alleged that Tejada and Abisada’s business resulted in the death of Marsha Clarke in the Bronx, and Martin Banks and Edwar…
NY Duo Nabbed With 100 Pounds Of Cocaine Stamped With Nickname Of Sports Star, Authorities Say NY Duo Nabbed With 100 Pounds Of Cocaine Stamped With Nickname Of Sports Star, Authorities Say
NY Duo Nabbed With 100 Pounds Of Cocaine Stamped With Nickname Of Sports Star, Authorities Say Two New York men were allegedly busted with more than 100 pounds of cocaine stamped with the nickname of a world-renowned professional athlete during an investigation by the DEA and the New York Special Narcotics Prosecutor's Office. Christopher Jone, and Wykim Williams, both age 43 from New York City, were arrested on Monday, March 29, following warrant raids on a seventh-floor apartment in Queens, said Bridget G. Brennan, Special Narcotics Prosecutor. During the raids, investigators and agents recovered one loaded handgun, and more than $200,000, in addition to seizing the 50 kilograms o…
Westchester Doctor Sentenced For Writing Prescriptions For 50K Oxycodone Pills Westchester Doctor Sentenced For Writing Prescriptions For 50K Oxycodone Pills
Westchester Doctor Sentenced For Writing Prescriptions For 50K Oxycodone Pills A doctor from Westchester will spend time behind bars for illegally distributing tens of thousands of oxycodone pills. Yonkers resident Nadem Sayegh, 65, a doctor with offices in Yonkers and the Bronx, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by two years probation and a $100,000 fine. He will also pay $11,000 in restitution for not following medical guidelines when distributing the drug. Sayegh must report to prison at the end of January. He was one of 10 medical professionals charged in the oxycodone distribution ring. Each of the other co-conspirators are still awaiting trial. Acc…
Pair Sentenced For Kidnapping, Killing Area Man Who Was Federal Cooperating Witness Pair Sentenced For Kidnapping, Killing Area Man Who Was Federal Cooperating Witness
Pair Sentenced For Kidnapping, Killing Area Man Who Was Federal Cooperating Witness Two men will spend the rest of their lives in prison after being convicted of kidnapping and murdering a federal cooperating witness from the area in a violent armed robbery more than two years ago. Bronx residents Robert Pizarro and Juan Rivera were convicted in September last year of murdering a witness from Rockland to prevent him from reporting to law enforcement, kidnapping conspiracy, kidnapping resulting in death, robbery conspiracy, robbery, and weapons offenses, arising out of the murder of federal cooperating witness and Garnerville resident Robert Bishun on Sept. 20, 2016. On Tue…
10-Month Investigation Leads To Takedown Of Major Drug Ring In Westchester, Connecticut, NYC 10-Month Investigation Leads To Takedown Of Major Drug Ring In Westchester, Connecticut, NYC
10-Month Investigation Leads To Takedown Of Major Drug Ring In Westchester, Connecticut, NYC A 10-month investigation into opioid sales in Westchester, Connecticut, Brooklyn and the Bronx, led to the takedown of a major drug ring that purchased and sold tens of thousands of prescription pills. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Thursday that two indictments have been unsealed in Bronx County Supreme Court charging 28 co-conspirators with conspiracy, criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a controlled substance, and other charges in a 181 count indictment. James said that the investigation - dubbed Operation Oxy-Concourse - led to…
Ex-Family Doctor, 83, Sentenced For Prescribing Opioids That Led To 27-Year-Old’s OD Death Ex-Family Doctor, 83, Sentenced For Prescribing Opioids That Led To 27-Year-Old’s OD Death
Ex-Family Doctor, 83, Sentenced For Prescribing Opioids That Led To 27-Year-Old’s OD Death A doctor with a family medical practice in Manhattan may spend the rest of his life being bars after being slapped with a 20-year sentence for prescribing deadly amounts of opioids to patients, one of whom died from an overdose. Prosecutors announced that Martin Tesher, 83, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for nine counts of unlawful distribution of oxycodone without a legitimate medical purpose and one count of unlawful distribution of oxycodone and fentanyl that resulted in the death of a patient. In addition to his prison term, Tesher has been ordered to pay $3,700 in restitution…
Mount Vernon Felon Found With Loaded Gun At Train Station Pleads Guilty Mount Vernon Felon Found With Loaded Gun At Train Station Pleads Guilty
Mount Vernon Felon Found With Loaded Gun At Train Station Pleads Guilty A Westchester County convict is facing a decade in prison after admitting to illegally possessing a stolen weapon at a Connecticut train station. Mount Vernon resident Michael Lawrence, 26, has pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon dating back to an incident last summer. U.S. Attorney John Durham said that on Aug. 22 last year, local, state and federal law enforcement officials conducted a criminal interdiction and enforcement operation at Union Station in New Haven. During a random inspection, a DEA agent found a loaded .38 ca…
Four Major Drug Traffickers Taken Down, 25 Others Arrested During Raids In Area Four Major Drug Traffickers Taken Down, 25 Others Arrested During Raids In Area
Four Major Drug Traffickers Taken Down, 25 Others Arrested During Raids In Area In a dramatic movie-style series of raids, a total of 29 people were arrested Tuesday during a drug enforcement action dubbed "Operation Bread, White and Blues." The bust went down early Tuesday morning as members of the DEA, FBI, the New York State Police, and the Orange County Sheriff's Office, raided several locations, including an Orange County firehouse in the City of Middletown in which one of the main dealers was an acting fire lieutenant, said Trooper Steven Nevel. Of the 29 arrested, three have been charged with the felony operating as a major trafficker, including the lieutenant, …
70 Pounds Of Heroin, Fentanyl Seized From Dealers In Westchester, Bronx 70 Pounds Of Heroin, Fentanyl Seized From Dealers In Westchester, Bronx
70 Pounds Of Heroin, Fentanyl Seized From Dealers In Westchester, Bronx A Westchester man was the alleged ringleader of a local drug distribution ring that was broken up when the DEA and NYPD seized nearly $10 million in narcotics. New York City's Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor announced the indictment of five people, including four who were linked to a wholesale heroin and fentanyl distribution network in the Bronx. The fifth represented a Mexico-based narcotics supply organization. The alleged ring leader, Juan Silva Santos, of Yonkers, has been charged with operating as a major trafficker under New York State’s drug kingpin statute. Santos allege…
Scam Alert: 'Spoofing' Calls Being Made By Scammers Pretending To Be Cops, Municipal Officials Scam Alert: 'Spoofing' Calls Being Made By Scammers Pretending To Be Cops, Municipal Officials
Scam Alert: 'Spoofing' Calls Being Made By Scammers Pretending To Be Cops, Municipal Officials Police are alerting residents to a "spoofing" scam in which the callers pretend to be police officers or other municipal officers in an attempt to solicit money and sensitive personal information. On Friday, Jan. 25, a town resident reported receiving a suspicious phone call that appeared to originate from the Greenburgh Police Department, Chief Chris McNerney said on Saturday, Jan. 26.  The caller claimed to be a Greenburgh police officer and wanted to discuss the woman's credit report.  "Fortunately, the resident became suspicious and hung up the phone," McNerney said. "We…
Police In Westchester Seize Eight Kilos Of Heroin Worth Millions, Arrest Two Police In Westchester Seize Eight Kilos Of Heroin Worth Millions, Arrest Two
Police In Westchester Seize Eight Kilos Of Heroin Worth Millions, Arrest Two Police seized eight kilograms of heroin worth several million dollars and arrested two suspects as part of a joint investigation with the DEA in Westchester. On Monday, Jan 14, members of the Yonkers Police Department Narcotics Unit and the DEA’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force Group T-12 conducted a narcotics interdiction in the area of Central Park Avenue north of Palmer Road resulting in the seizure of the approximately eight kilos of alleged heroin and the arrest of a man and woman for felony drug possession. According to Yonkers Police Sgt. Deane Politopoulos, investigators were c…
DEA Agent Fires Shot As Wanted Suspect Rams Vehicle In Westchester DEA Agent Fires Shot As Wanted Suspect Rams Vehicle In Westchester
DEA Agent Fires Shot As Wanted Suspect Rams Vehicle In Westchester A federal agent fired a shot at a vehicle after one of the people targeted in a large cocaine bust rammed into the agent's vehicle, pushing it back 10 to 15 feet. The incident in Westchester took place around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday when a DEA task force conducted a car stop on the target's vehicle. That's when Jamie Sostre-Martinez, 41, accelerated in the  direction of a DEA agent and government vehicle at the intersection of Hawthorne Avenue and Prospect Street, in Yonkers, the DEA said When encountered with this deadly threat, one shot was fired. The agent jumped out of the way an…
Westchester Heroin Dealer Facing Decades In Prison After Guilty Verdict In White Plains Trial Westchester Heroin Dealer Facing Decades In Prison After Guilty Verdict In White Plains Trial
Westchester Heroin Dealer Facing Decades In Prison After Guilty Verdict In White Plains Trial A drug dealer in Westchester is facing decades in prison for distributing heroin throughout the area. Leibys “Celly” Mercedes of the Bronx was found guilty of conspiring to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin in Yonkers following a four-day trial. The jury unanimously found him guilty of distributing the heroin to other dealers in the area. Mercedes was one of six dealers who conspired to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin in the area. “As proven at trial, Leibys Mercedes contributed to the rising tide of heroin that is plaguing Westchester County and its vicinity,” U.S. At…
Arrests Made In Empire City Casino Winner Car-Bump Robbery Arrests Made In Empire City Casino Winner Car-Bump Robbery
Arrests Made In Empire City Casino Winner Car-Bump Robbery Two men were in custody after authorities said they robbed a casino gambler by bumping his car from behind on Route 208 in Wyckoff and claiming they were police officers. The driver told police he’d left the Empire City Casino in Yonkers around 5:30 a.m. Sept. 2 and was headed north on the highway when his vehicle was struck from behind near Cedar Hill Avenue. One of two men who got out of the other car “identified himself as a law enforcement officer and instructed him to place his hands on the trunk of his vehicle,” Wyckoff Police Chief David Murphy said. “They then held him while they r…
Suspect Tried To Use Doctor's Professional Credentials To Get Drugs In Westchester, Police Say Suspect Tried To Use Doctor's Professional Credentials To Get Drugs In Westchester, Police Say
Suspect Tried To Use Doctor's Professional Credentials To Get Drugs In Westchester, Police Say Police are investigating a suspect who allegedly attempted to use a doctor’s prescription information to obtain narcotics. A doctor reported to members of the department at Scarsdale Police Headquarters on Saturday that someone had used her professional credentials without her consent to prescribe narcotics on two separate occasions. According to police, the woman was contacted by a pharmacy on Oct. 18 to confirm a past prescription request, which was called in by phone days earlier. Investigators noted that the pharmacy did not request or authorize the prescription or issue any drugs. The…
Here's Where You Can You Go Near You On National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Here's Where You Can You Go Near You On National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day
Here's Where You Can You Go Near You On National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Thousands of spare pills and other drugs will be collected throughout the country as part of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. On Saturday, local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies will be participating in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. nationwide. It is the 16th iteration of the program. According to the DEA, “The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.2 million Americans misused contro…
Six From New Rochelle Charged In Drug Trafficking Ring Six From New Rochelle Charged In Drug Trafficking Ring
Six From New Rochelle Charged In Drug Trafficking Ring Nine members of a family run drug trafficking organization have been charged with narcotics conspiracy in connection to the FBI raid of a New Rochelle grocery store this week. Members of the FBI were spotted entering the Supermercado Mexico supermarket on Union Avenue in New Rochelle at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 11, authorities said. Agents were seen taking boxes of evidence from the location and arrests have been made. The raids led to the arrests of seven men who allegedly conspired to distribute more than five kilograms of heroin and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine …
Westchester Doctor, Pharmacist Illegally Sold Oxycodone Pills, Feds Say Westchester Doctor, Pharmacist Illegally Sold Oxycodone Pills, Feds Say
Westchester Doctor, Pharmacist Illegally Sold Oxycodone Pills, Feds Say A doctor and pharmacist from Westchester were among seven medical professionals that have been accused of illegally distributing millions of oxycodone pills. Yonkers resident Nadem Sayegh, a doctor with offices in Westchester and the Bronx, and Marc Klein, who owns a pharmacy in White Plains, are each facing time behind bars for their roles in a pill mill that has been under investigation. Both are scheduled to appear in Manhattan federal court on Thursday. According to investigators who announced their arrests, Sayegh wrote illegal prescriptions in order to live a life of luxury.  He “mai…
NY Authorities Assist In Bust Of 7 Pounds Heroin, 2+ Pounds Cocaine, $40G NY Authorities Assist In Bust Of 7 Pounds Heroin, 2+ Pounds Cocaine, $40G
NY Authorities Assist In Bust Of 7 Pounds Heroin, 2+ Pounds Cocaine, $40G An unemployed Massachusetts couple had nearly seven pounds of heroin, more than two pounds of cocaine and $40,000 in drug proceeds stashed in hidden compartments of their vehicle when they were stopped in Paramus by members of a joint county, state and federal task force, authorities said. Candido Tomasini, 35, and Maribel Roman, 40, of Fitchburg were both ordered held in the Bergen County Jail pending a detention hearing this Friday, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo said. Prosecutor’s detectives teamed up with agents from the DEA, the New York State Drug Enforcement Task Force, …