Robert Love, of Riverhead, facing new indictment after previous drug-related charges were dismissed

The alleged ringleader of what prosecutors described as an open-air drug market on Long Island’s East End pleaded not guilty to new charges Thursday, weeks after an earlier indictment was dismissed due to a grand jury stenographer’s errors.

Robert Love, 72, of Riverhead, was arraigned before State Supreme Court Justice John Collins on a 20-count indictment charging him with first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, conspiracy and other drug-related offenses.

“The underlying facts of both indictments remain the same,” Assistant District Attorney Daniel Fischer told the judge.

The prior dismissal was not the result of a legal challenge to the strength of evidence against the defendants in the yearlong East End Drug Task Force investigation, which included more than two dozen sales of cocaine trafficked from Queens to an undercover officer at a house on Brown Street in Riverside, some of which were captured by video surveillance.

Fischer said Thursday that police recovered 1.5 kilograms of cocaine and drug packaging materials at the time of Love's June 2025 arrest.

Instead, the reason for the dismissal centered on shorthand errors made by the stenographer, who records show has been employed on a per diem basis by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office since 2013.

“The district attorney’s office is no longer using the contract court reporter,” spokesperson Anna Sokol said in a statement following Thursday's arraignment. “The alleged criminal conduct here is very serious and we will continue to vigorously prosecute the case.”

The defects in the earlier indictment came to light after Love’s defense attorney, Christopher Cassar, of Huntington, requested that Collins inspect the grand jury minutes. Many of the errors related to shorthand mistakes associated with the names of Robert Love and his brother, Ronald Love, 60, of Riverside, who was among those charged in the conspiracy, court records show.

Prosecutors conceded the stenographer made at least 26 errors in her grand jury minutes from the sprawling drug case. The discrepancies included names of defendants, dates of alleged crimes, penal law sections and descriptions of criminal acts, according to Collins’ August ruling to dismiss pending charges against Love and co-defendant Matthew Johnson.

The stenographer also admitted during a grand jury reconstruction hearing that she deleted her “dictionary" and “brief forms" — shortcut systems court reporters use to write at high speeds — making it difficult for her to testify to the contents of her minutes.

Cassar on Thursday argued for reduced bail for Love who has been held since his arrest on $2.5 million bail. Cassar sought to have bail lowered to $100,000 cash, which he said his client could post with proceeds from a civil filing related to a car crash.

“He is over 70 years old fighting this case since June 2025 and he’s always steadfastly denied the allegations,” Cassar said.

But prosecutors argued Love has six prior felony and six misdemeanor convictions. He’s also had three parole revocations. 

“[He] has spent a substantial amount of time since 1980 incarcerated,” Fischer said.

Collins instead set bail at $1.5 million cash or $3 million bond, saying he was "disturbed” by Love’s parole revocation history. In the event Love can raise a bail package, the judge ordered a bail source hearing.

Many of Love’s co-defendants in the prior indictment have also had their cases thrown into limbo since his charges were dismissed, including some who previously pleaded guilty.

Timothy McKay Sr., another sibling of Love who lived at the Riverside house where prosecutors allege drug dealers openly sold cocaine “all throughout the day, seven days per week," was serving a 12-to-15 year prison sentence when he was returned to Riverhead to have his plea vacated. He has since rejected a new plea offer that would have seen him return to prison to serve a sentence of up to 12 years. His case remains pending.

Johnson, who was charged only with conspiracy, will not face new charges, according to attorney Christopher Gioe, of Hauppauge. 

Love, who faces the possibility of spending life in prison if convicted at trial, is due back in court Oct. 12.

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.