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Able McTootle, of Hempstead, was sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by five years' post-release supervision on Thursday, April 28, according to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
Donnelly said McTootle pleaded guilty to the charges on Wednesday, March 30, which included:
- Operating as a major narcotics trafficker
- First-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance
- First-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
- Second-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance
- Third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
- Third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance
- Second-degree conspiracy
McTootle was one of 40 people who were indicted in March of last year as part of an 18-month investigation by multiple agencies, Donnelly said.
“We began this operation to get at the heart of the violence in Hempstead," Donnelly said. "That investigation led us directly to Able McTootle, a key drug supplier to the most violent individuals in the area.
“The pursuit of this defendant grew into a massive takedown with our local, federal, and state partners, that has since resulted in the guilty pleas of more than two dozen drug traffickers and dealers, including several major traffickers from Hempstead."
The DA's Office said McTootle was one of the major drug traffickers in the investigation, and he acted as a supplier to smaller drug dealers in Nassau County.
He sold up to four to six kilograms of cocaine weekly, the DA's Office said.
Prosecutors reported that the drugs that were sold in Hempstead by McTootle and other members of the drug trafficking ring were trafficked to locations including Puerto Rico, California, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Donnelly said when McTootle was arrested on March 10, 2021, authorities recovered the following from his home:
- 404 grams of cocaine
- 46 grams of heroin
- 21 grams of fentanyl
- Various narcotic grinders, blenders, presses, and scales
- Three bulletproof vests
- 9 mm ammunition
The street value of the narcotics seized during the investigation into the drug trafficking ring is estimated to be about $2,772,000, according to the report.
The DA's Office said the following agencies investigated the case:
- The Nassau County District Attorney's Office
- Federal Bureau of Investigation Long Island Gang Task Force
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Long Island Field Division
- The Nassau County Police Department
- The United States Postal Inspection Service
- The New York State Police
- Drug Enforcement Administration
As of the announcement, 30 of the defendants who were indicted in the investigation pleaded guilty, the DA's Office reported.
Cases against the other defendants are pending, Donnelly said.
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