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Cocaine

Yonkers Man, 2 Others Caught With Gun, Drugs After Threatening Group In Westchester Yonkers Man, 2 Others Caught With Gun, Drugs After Threatening Group In Westchester
Yonkers Man, 2 Others Caught With Gun, Drugs After Threatening Group In Westchester Three men, including a Fairfield County resident, are facing charges after officers found them with a loaded handgun and drugs after they allegedly threatened a group with a firearm in Westchester, officials said. The incident began on Sunday morning, Nov. 24, when witnesses flagged down Port Chester officers while they were on patrol on North Main Street, according to the department.   Witnesses reported a man menacing a group with a firearm, and as officers approached the area near Abendroth Avenue, they also pointed out a vehicle leaving the scene. Police then pulled it over an…
Search Warrant Yields Cocaine, Fentanyl, Charges For Hudson Valley Suspect Search Warrant Yields Cocaine, Fentanyl, Charges For Hudson Valley Suspect
Search Warrant Yields Cocaine, Fentanyl, Charges For Hudson Valley Suspect A Hudson Valley man is facing drug charges after a months-long investigation into narcotics sales. Richard Fernandez, age 40, was arrested on Wednesday, Nov. 20, following a five-month investigation by the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office Drug Task Force. Investigators executed a court-authorized search warrant at a residence in Pomona, recovering cocaine, fentanyl pills, and other pharmaceutical drugs during the search. Fernandez has been charged with: Criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree; Four counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in t…
6 Accused Of Distributing Cocaine, Fentanyl Out Of Public Housing In Westchester 6 Accused Of Distributing Cocaine, Fentanyl Out Of Public Housing In Westchester
6 Accused Of Distributing Cocaine, Fentanyl Out Of Public Housing In Westchester Six people face federal charges in connection with a drug ring that distributed addictive substances out of residential buildings in Northern Westchester, officials said. The six suspects were arrested and arraigned in federal court on Tuesday, Nov. 12 in connection with a drug conspiracy that operated in Peekskill, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Friday, Nov. 15.  According to the federal indictment, from around April 2024 to the date of their arrests, the six defendants worked to supply and distribute large amounts of cocaine, crack co…
Yonkers Man Nabbed For Cocaine Possession During Traffic Stop: Police Yonkers Man Nabbed For Cocaine Possession During Traffic Stop: Police
Yonkers Man Nabbed For Cocaine Possession During Traffic Stop: Police Two people were busted for alleged felony cocaine possession during a routine traffic stop by New York State Police in the Hudson Valley. The incident occurred in Dutchess County at 9:20 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 30, in East Fishkill. According to Trooper AJ Hicks, members of the department's Community Stabilization Unit conducted a traffic stop of a 2020 BMW 530 Series on the Taconic State Parkway for violations of the vehicle and traffic laws. An investigation determined the driver, Westchester County resident Steven A. Emery, age 44, of Yonkers, and the passenger Shelby Rose …
Duo Caught With Heroin, Cocaine, Pills In Hudson Valley After Complaint From Resident Duo Caught With Heroin, Cocaine, Pills In Hudson Valley After Complaint From Resident
Duo Caught With Heroin, Cocaine, Pills In Hudson Valley After Complaint From Resident Two people, including a Fairfield County resident, face charges after they were caught with heroin, cocaine, and prescription medication in the Hudson Valley during a suspected drug deal, police said. The arrests resulted from an incident in Putnam County on Thursday, Oct. 17 just before 10:30 p.m., when a caller told the Putnam County Sheriff's Office that drugs were possibly being sold from a car within the village of Brewster.  Sheriff's deputies responded to the location and found 52-year-old Michael Flynn of Brookfield, Connecticut in possession of heroin and cocaine that he alleg…
Trio Nabbed With Cocaine, Crystal Meth On I-87 In Westchester: Police Trio Nabbed With Cocaine, Crystal Meth On I-87 In Westchester: Police
Trio Nabbed With Cocaine, Crystal Meth On I-87 In Westchester: Police Three men were apprehended after they were caught with hundreds of grams of cocaine and crystal methamphetamine on an interstate in Westchester, police announced. The traffic stop happened on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at around 5:30 p.m., when authorities stopped a Nissan Altima on Interstate 87 in Ardsley after they saw it allegedly violate vehicle and traffic laws, New York State Police said on Friday, Oct. 4.  The three people inside the car, all Bronx residents, were found with around 412 grams of cocaine and 378 grams of crystal methamphetamine, police said. They were identified as:  …
Man Caught Snorting Cocaine In Car In Hudson Valley: Police Man Caught Snorting Cocaine In Car In Hudson Valley: Police
Man Caught Snorting Cocaine In Car In Hudson Valley: Police A 32-year-old Connecticut man was apprehended after authorities caught him snorting cocaine inside a vehicle in the Hudson Valley, police announced.  The arrest was made on Monday, Aug. 26 just before 3 p.m., when a man was seen snorting a white powdered substance while sitting in the driver's seat of a car in the Putnam County town of Southeast, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said on Monday, Sept. 30. According to the Sheriff's Office, the man's vehicle was found to have a Virginia license plate that expired in 2016. A search of his car undertaken by members of the Sheriff's Offic…
32-Year-Old Man Accused Of Selling Cocaine, Prescription Meds In Hudson Valley 32-Year-Old Man Accused Of Selling Cocaine, Prescription Meds In Hudson Valley
32-Year-Old Man Accused Of Selling Cocaine, Prescription Meds In Hudson Valley A 32-year-old man from the region faces a long list of charges for selling cocaine and prescription medication in the Hudson Valley, authorities announced.  Ulster County resident Kevin Lamastro of Highland was arrested on Saturday, Sept. 21 on an outstanding warrant related to his alleged sale of narcotics in Putnam County, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office announced on Tuesday, Sept. 24.  According to the Sheriff's Office, in 2023, an investigator with the Narcotics Enforcement Unit learned that Lamastro was allegedly involved in the sale of cocaine and prescription medica…
NY Men Admit Poisoning Prominent Activist, 'Pose' Star Who Overdosed NY Men Admit Poisoning Prominent Activist, 'Pose' Star Who Overdosed
NY Men Admit Poisoning Prominent Activist, 'Pose' Star Who Overdosed Two New York men formally confessed to their roles in the death of a prominent transgender activist, performer, and author. Michael Kuilan, age 44, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing heroin and fentanyl in Brooklyn federal court Monday, Sept. 23, in the death of Cecilia Gentili. Earlier Report: NY Men 'Poisoned' Prominent Transgender Activist, 'Pose' Star Who OD'd: Feds It came weeks after Long Island resident Antonio Venti, age 52, of West Babylon, pleaded guilty to the same drug offenses. According to prosecutors, Venti and Kuilan sold heroin laced with fe…
Drug Dealer Nabbed After Fatal Overdose In Hudson Valley Gets Prison Time Drug Dealer Nabbed After Fatal Overdose In Hudson Valley Gets Prison Time
Drug Dealer Nabbed After Fatal Overdose In Hudson Valley Gets Prison Time A 30-year-old Connecticut man will spend several years in prison after he was caught selling a deadly heroin and fentanyl mixture following a fatal overdose in the Hudson Valley. New Haven County resident Brandon Gatling of Waterbury will serve six years in state prison after admitting to selling narcotics in Putnam County, Putnam County District Attorney Robert Tendy announced on Thursday, Sept. 12.  According to Tendy's office, Gatling was arrested on June 14, 2023, following an investigation into a fatal overdose conducted by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Enforce…
Quadruple Murder Case: Former Yonkers Police Officer Receives Sentence Quadruple Murder Case: Former Yonkers Police Officer Receives Sentence
Quadruple Murder Case: Former Yonkers Police Officer Receives Sentence A former police officer at several municipalities in Westchester and Dutchess counties has received his sentence for killing four men in the Hudson Valley over missing drug money.  Orange County resident and former cop Nicholas Tartaglione of Otisville, age 56, was sentenced on Monday, June 10 to four consecutive life sentences for the killings in the town of Chester in Orange County following a botched cocaine deal in April 2016 at the Likquid Lounge.  The four victims were: Martin Luna, age 41,  Urbano Santiago, age 32,  Miguel Luna, age 25,  Hector G…
NY Men 'Poisoned' Prominent Transgender Activist, 'Pose' Star Who OD'd: Feds NY Men 'Poisoned' Prominent Transgender Activist, 'Pose' Star Who OD'd: Feds
NY Men 'Poisoned' Prominent Transgender Activist, 'Pose' Star Who OD'd: Feds Two New York men are facing federal charges in the death of a prominent transgender activist, performer, and author. Long Island resident Antonio Venti, age 52, of West Babylon and Michael Kuilan, age 44, of Brooklyn, were arraigned on a four-count indictment in Brooklyn federal court on Monday, April 1. Prosecutors said Venti and Kuilan sold heroin laced with fentanyl to Cecilia Gentili. NYPD officers responded to the 52-year-old’s Brooklyn home on Feb. 6 following a 911 call from her partner. Gentili was found dead in her bedroom. An autopsy determined that she died from the combined eff…
Noncitizen Nabbed For Drug Trafficking In Westchester: Feds Noncitizen Nabbed For Drug Trafficking In Westchester: Feds
Noncitizen Nabbed For Drug Trafficking In Westchester: Feds Thirteen unlawfully present noncitizens caught in New York face drug trafficking and possession charges, including several who were apprehended in the Hudson Valley and on Long Island, officials said. The thirteen criminal noncitizens were apprehended following an effort by Enforcement and Removal Operations New York City Fugitive Operations officers conducted from Monday, March 11 to Tuesday, March 26, US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement announced on Friday, March 29.  The defendants all face charges related to the trafficking or possession of methamphetamines, fent…
Man Gets Prison Time For Operating Cocaine Delivery Service: Caused Death Of Yonkers Man Man Gets Prison Time For Operating Cocaine Delivery Service: Caused Death Of Yonkers Man
Man Gets Prison Time For Operating Cocaine Delivery Service: Caused Death Of Yonkers Man A 41-year-old man will spend more than a decade in prison for operating a cocaine courier service that delivered fentanyl-tainted cocaine to a Westchester man, causing his death.  Florida resident Jose Luis Tejada Aybar of Miami was sentenced on Tuesday, Feb. 27 to 12 and a half years in prison for operating the Cab Louie Delivery Service, which brought cocaine to customers in the Bronx and Westchester, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.  According to federal officials, Tejada Aybar began the delivery service in March 2018. To order…
Prominent Yonkers Anti-Gun Director Sentenced To Prison Prominent Yonkers Anti-Gun Director Sentenced To Prison
Prominent Yonkers Anti-Gun Director Sentenced To Prison A prominent Hudson Valley anti-gun leader has been sentenced to prison for drug trafficking in the region. Westchester County resident Michael Rodrigues, age 49, of Yonkers, was sentenced Thursday, Jan. 4, in Orange County Court to 10 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision. He pled guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy, said Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler.  Rodriguez is the director of Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.), which is a prominent anti-violence program that receives government mon…
13 Kilos Of Cocaine, Heroin Worth $1.6M Seized In Yonkers Drug Bust: Duo Faces Charges 13 Kilos Of Cocaine, Heroin Worth $1.6M Seized In Yonkers Drug Bust: Duo Faces Charges
13 Kilos Of Cocaine, Heroin Worth $1.6M Seized In Yonkers Drug Bust: Duo Faces Charges Two men were apprehended as part of a massive drug bust in Westchester that resulted in the seizure of $1.6 million worth of cocaine and heroin, police announced.  The drug bust, which happened on Thursday, Dec. 21 in Yonkers, was the culmination of a months-long investigation conducted by Group D-42 of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, Yonkers Police announced on Friday, Dec. 22.  As part of the lengthy investigation, the group, which includes Yonkers Police detectives, determined that narcotics were being transported from New Jersey to Yonkers.  In response…
Accused 'Serial' Drug Dealer From Yonkers Nabbed After Yearlong Investigation Accused 'Serial' Drug Dealer From Yonkers Nabbed After Yearlong Investigation
Accused 'Serial' Drug Dealer From Yonkers Nabbed After Yearlong Investigation A yearlong investigation in the region has led to a new arrest of an accused "serial" drug dealer with police saying a significant connection of cocaine, fentanyl and heroin discovered in connection to the case. The probe into cocaine and crack cocaine being sold in Ulster County was launched in November 2022 by the City of Kingston Police Department and Town of Ulster Police Department Special Investigations Unit (SIU) in response to a growing number of both fatal and non-fatal overdoses of a suspected substance sold in glassine envelopes marked with a “Moet stamp.” "These stamp…
Duo Nabbed After Trying To Sell Cocaine To Undercover Officer In Hudson Valley: Police Duo Nabbed After Trying To Sell Cocaine To Undercover Officer In Hudson Valley: Police
Duo Nabbed After Trying To Sell Cocaine To Undercover Officer In Hudson Valley: Police Two Connecticut residents were arrested following a chase that began after one of the suspects tried selling cocaine to an undercover investigator in the Hudson Valley, police said.  New Haven County residents Luis Flores, age 32, and Lymaris Burgos, age 37, both from Ansonia, were arrested in late October in connection with an investigation into drug sales in Putnam County, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office announced on Monday, Nov. 22.  The events leading up to the duo's arrests began in October when an investigator discovered that Flores was involved in the sale of cocaine in …
K9 Helps Sniff Out Kilogram Of Cocaine During Westchester Traffic Stop: Police K9 Helps Sniff Out Kilogram Of Cocaine During Westchester Traffic Stop: Police
K9 Helps Sniff Out Kilogram Of Cocaine During Westchester Traffic Stop: Police A 25-year-old Connecticut man faces drug charges after authorities found him in possession of a kilogram of cocaine during a Northern Westchester traffic stop, police announced. The arrest resulted from an incident on Monday, Nov. 13, when a New York State Police trooper pulled over a 2014 Toyota Corolla on Interstate 684 in North Castle just after 3 p.m. for a vehicle and traffic law violation, authorities said. According to state police, the trooper and his K9 partner, Fortini, determined that the driver, 25-year-old New Haven County resident John Carlos Javier of Waterbury, had…
Yonkers Woman, NJ Man Had 20 Pounds Of Fentanyl, Feds Say Yonkers Woman, NJ Man Had 20 Pounds Of Fentanyl, Feds Say
Yonkers Woman, NJ Man Had 20 Pounds Of Fentanyl, Feds Say A woman from Westchester and a New Jersey man were busted with 20 pounds of deadly fentanyl and 2½ pounds of cocaine for sale, federal authorities said. Lorendy Diaz Beltre De Inoa, age 27, of Yonkers, and Bergen County resident Plinio Junior Pineda Lopez, age 33, of Oakland, NJ, were arrested with 1.5 kilos of fentanyl in Wallington, US Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said Wednesday, July 12. Nearly 8 more kilos of hidden fentanyl were found during a court-approved search on Tuesday, July 11, of Lopez’s Hillside Avenue home just off West Oakland Avenue and down the street…
Quadruple Murder Case: Former Police Officer In Yonkers Found Guilty Quadruple Murder Case: Former Police Officer In Yonkers Found Guilty
Quadruple Murder Case: Former Police Officer In Yonkers Found Guilty A former police officer at several municipalities in Westchester and Dutchess counties has been convicted for the murders of four men in Orange County after a drug deal that went bad. According to an indictment that was filed in White Plains Federal Court, Nicholas Tartaglione killed Martin Luna, age 41, Urbano Santiago, age 32, Miguel Luna, age 25, and Hector Gutierrez, 43, at the Likquid Lounge in the town of Chester in Orange County following the botched cocaine deal in April 2016. The first victim was allegedly strangled with a zip tie, and three others were taken to an Otisville home i…
Man Caught With 5 Grams Of Cocaine On I-684, Police Say Man Caught With 5 Grams Of Cocaine On I-684, Police Say
Man Caught With 5 Grams Of Cocaine On I-684, Police Say A Connecticut man faces drug charges after he was caught with cocaine during a traffic stop in the Hudson Valley, police said.  On Friday, Feb. 10 around 10:15 p.m., police in Putnam County pulled over a 2012 Acura TL on Interstate 684 in Southeast for violations of traffic and vehicle laws. After a short investigation, officers found the driver to be in possession of five grams of cocaine, according to New York State Police.  The driver, identified as Danbury resident Kenneth Rios, age 26, was charged with the following:  Third-degree criminal possession of a con…
Westchester County Detectives Help Find $300K Of Cocaine In Hidden Compartment Of Car Westchester County Detectives Help Find $300K Of Cocaine In Hidden Compartment Of Car
Westchester County Detectives Help Find $300K Of Cocaine In Hidden Compartment Of Car Several members of the Westchester County Police Department helped catch a man who had $300,000 worth of cocaine hidden in his car, police said. On Monday, Nov. 28, around 6:30 p.m., members of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency's Group D-42, which includes detectives from the WCPD, conducted surveillance in Queens and observed the suspect enter his car with what appeared to be a weighed shopping bag, and then followed him as he drove to the West Farms neighborhood of the Bronx, according to an announcement by police on Friday, Dec. 16. When he parked, agents and police officers from …
200 Pounds Of Coke, Fentanyl Seized In Stop Of Tractor-Trailer Driver From Yonkers: Feds 200 Pounds Of Coke, Fentanyl Seized In Stop Of Tractor-Trailer Driver From Yonkers: Feds
200 Pounds Of Coke, Fentanyl Seized In Stop Of Tractor-Trailer Driver From Yonkers: Feds A tractor-trailer driver from Westchester had nearly 100 kilos of cocaine and fentanyl combined when he was stopped for driving erratically on the New Jersey Turnpike near the Meadowlands, authorities said. Members of a special federal drug task force found the nearly 225-pound shipment after stopping Alejandro Nouel Lajud, age 39, of Yonkers, on the Turnpike in East Rutherford on Monday, Dec. 5, US Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. The drugs were divided into 95 brick-shaped packages each weighing a little over two pounds -- 70 of them containing cocaine and 25 holdin…
6 Nabbed For Selling Fentanyl-Cocaine In Hudson Valley, DA Says 6 Nabbed For Selling Fentanyl-Cocaine In Hudson Valley, DA Says
6 Nabbed For Selling Fentanyl-Cocaine In Hudson Valley, DA Says Six area people have been arrested for allegedly selling fentanyl and cocaine following a long-term investigation. Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh announced the arrests following a long-term investigation, conducted by the District Attorney's Narcotics Task Force, into street-level narcotics sales in the town of Haverstraw and the village of Spring Valley. The task force is made of officers from multiple county police agencies and investigators from the District Attorney's Office, Walsh said. The mission of the task force is to collect narcotics-relate…
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 …
10 Accused Of Distributing Crack Cocaine In Westchester 10 Accused Of Distributing Crack Cocaine In Westchester
10 Accused Of Distributing Crack Cocaine In Westchester Ten people are facing charges after investigators reported that they trafficked crack cocaine in Westchester County.  The indictment charging 10 individuals with various drug distribution and firearms charges in and around Mount Vernon was announced by Damian Williams, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, on Tuesday, Nov. 15. “This investigation has shut down a violent drug trafficking organization based in Mount Vernon, New York," DEA Special Agent-in Charge Frank A Tarentino III said. "Drugs and guns cause irreparable damage in our communities, and l…
Drug Trafficker Caught With 'Enough Fentanyl To Potentially Kill 1M' Sentenced In NY Drug Trafficker Caught With 'Enough Fentanyl To Potentially Kill 1M' Sentenced In NY
Drug Trafficker Caught With 'Enough Fentanyl To Potentially Kill 1M' Sentenced In NY A convicted drug trafficker who was busted on Long Island with what prosecutors said was enough fentanyl to kill one million people will spend decades behind bars. Keston Braithwaite, age 39, of Brooklyn, was sentenced to 31 years to life in prison Friday, Sept. 23, by a Suffolk County judge. It followed his July 2022 convictions on eleven criminal counts, including operating as major drug trafficker and criminal possession of a weapon. Prosecutors said between August 2019 and May 2020, Braithwaite acted as a major supplier of a multi-million dollar drug distribution network based out of …
Fugitive Had 30 Pounds Of Fentanyl In Home Next To Daycare In NY, DEA Says Fugitive Had 30 Pounds Of Fentanyl In Home Next To Daycare In NY, DEA Says
Fugitive Had 30 Pounds Of Fentanyl In Home Next To Daycare In NY, DEA Says Federal agents apprehended a 44-year-old fugitive in New York, where they say he was trafficking large amounts of cocaine and fentanyl.  Benito Bello, from Lawrence, Massachusetts, who also goes by the name Zuriel Ayala Rodriguez, was arrested in the Bronx on Wednesday, Aug. 10, the DEA said.  Agents said Bello had a kilo of cocaine and 14 kilos of the synthetic opioid inside the home where a minor child also lived.  Next to the house was a daycare that watched children as young as 6 weeks old, federal agents said.  For context, 14 kilos is more than 30 pounds of …
12 Indicted After Months-Long Investigation Into Cocaine Sales In Yonkers 12 Indicted After Months-Long Investigation Into Cocaine Sales In Yonkers
12 Indicted After Months-Long Investigation Into Cocaine Sales In Yonkers Twelve people were indicted following a months-long investigation into the possession and sale of cocaine in Westchester. Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah announced that the defendants have all been arraigned as of Tuesday, July 12. The investigation into drug sales in Yonkers began in October 2021 and culminated in the arrests of the defendants who allegedly were in possession of and sold cocaine on 27 occasions between the start of the investigation and April 7, 2022, Rocah said. “We are proud to have partnered with the Yonkers Police Department and the Westchester …
Man, Woman Accused Of Dealing Heroin, Fentanyl, Crack In Hudson Valley Man, Woman Accused Of Dealing Heroin, Fentanyl, Crack In Hudson Valley
Man, Woman Accused Of Dealing Heroin, Fentanyl, Crack In Hudson Valley A duo from the Hudson Valley is facing serious charges after they were allegedly caught with hardcore drugs. Ronald Bernard, age 62, and Sandra Fleming, age 66, both of the City of Poughkeepsie, were arrested after the Dutchess County Drug Task Force found them with large amounts of heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl, according to the sheriff’s office. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can prove fatal in small doses and is increasingly found in illegal drugs like heroin. Bernard and Fleming were each charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, a felony…