DA: Dealer arrested, more than 350 pounds of marijuana seized

An Old Westbury man faces charges in one of the largest marijuana seizures in Nassau County history — more than 350 pounds of the drug with an estimated street value of $500,000, authorities said Thursday.

Micah Raskin, 49, received drug shipments at undisclosed Long Island locations and stored them in his home and at a Garden City storage facility “before a courier delivered them to customers in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Virginia and New York, charging $1,400 for a pound of marijuana,” prosecutors said in a news release.

Raskin, of Coachman’s Court, was arrested at his home Tuesday and was held on $225,000 bond or $150,000 cash at his Wednesday arraignment by Judge William Hohauser. Raskin faces up to 8 years in prison if convicted of the top counts, prosecutors said in a news release.

The defendant is charged with first- and second-degree criminal possession of marijuana, fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, and third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, officials said.

In the release, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said the drug dealing “went on for a period of several years.” She said the seizure of marijuana as well as “huge” quantities of hash oils means “this alleged dealer’s time living the high life selling drugs is over.”

Raskin’s attorney, Benjamin Simpson of Patchogue, could not be reached for comment.

Singas said the investigation into trafficking of large amounts of marijuana from Old Westbury to Baltimore began in November. Raskin was identified as a supplier of large amounts of marijuana and hash oils to the Baltimore area, she said.

Raskin “created a lucrative business over the years,” Angel M. Melendez, special agent in charge of the New York office of Homeland Security Investigations, said in the release.

Nassau County police and members of the Long Island Homeland Security Investigations Task Force executed search warrants at Raskin’s home and the Garden City storage locker.

According to the release, the street value of the marijuana seized is about $500,000 and an additional $170,000 to $340,000 for the hash oils.

Authorities also seized a loaded shotgun, a Taser and paperwork documenting payments and prices for the drug products, officials said. Other items seized included a 2016 Land Rover Range Rover, a 2016 Chevrolet Corvette, $140,000 in monetary funds, and high-end artwork believed to be worth more than $100,000.