Drug ring arrests linked to fatal ODs, DA says
Three members of a heroin and fentanyl distribution ring and others will be arraigned Wednesday after a wiretap investigation linked them to five fatal overdoses, the Suffolk County district attorney’s office said.
Alleged supplier Yulisa Almonte, 25, of Bay Shore, and Ian Dunn, 21, of Shirley were arrested April 12, and Jason Dyer, 26, of Shirley, was arrested in December, online court records show.
The ring is linked to 17 overdoses, including the five fatalities, prosecutors said.
Weapons, cash, drugs and a press used to shape drugs into bricks for packaging are expected to be displayed Wednesday when prosecutors hold a news conference to lay out what happened during the two-month investigation.
Prosecutors said they also plan to provide details on another heroin ring busted this year, one that involved the supply of high quality “heavy” heroin by “career criminal” Hervil St. Louis of Jamaica, Queens, to distributor Anthony Baptiste of Brentwood.
The district attorney’s office did not provide further details on either case.
But online court records show Almonte was charged with several felonies, including operating a drug ring, conspiracy and criminal possession of drugs. Almonte was indicted on those charges, as well as several misdemeanors, including acting in a manner injurious to a child and criminal use of drug paraphernalia.
Dyer was indicted on criminal drug possession of cocaine and narcotics, conspiracy, criminal use of drug paraphernalia and other charges, records show.
Dunn was charged with conspiracy, and was indicted on that charge and criminal possession of controlled substance, records show.
His attorney, Ira Weissman of Central Islip, denied that his client was involved in distributing drugs and rejected prosecutors’ allegations that his client was responsible for drug-related deaths.
He noted that none of the defendants was charged with causing any deaths.
Even if they sold drugs, Weissman said, prosecutors will have a hard time proving a “causal connection” between the drugs and the deaths.
In the other alleged drug ring, court records show St. Louis was indicted on felonies, including operating a drug ring, conspiracy and drug possession. He pleaded not guilty last month and bail was set at $25 million cash or $50 million bond.
Online records also show Baptiste pleaded not guilty last month on a felony indictment that included operating a drug ring and drug possession. Bail was set at $1 million cash or $3 million bond.
Names of the each defendant’s attorney were not immediately available Tuesday night.
SARRA SOUNDS OFF: Wrestling, North Babylon hoops and more! Will Grayson Meak faceoff against Devin Downes in counties? Meanwhile North Babylon's Jasmine McKay hoops it up and there's history on the mat in Nassau County in Episode 2 of "Sarra Sounds Off."
SARRA SOUNDS OFF: Wrestling, North Babylon hoops and more! Will Grayson Meak faceoff against Devin Downes in counties? Meanwhile North Babylon's Jasmine McKay hoops it up and there's history on the mat in Nassau County in Episode 2 of "Sarra Sounds Off."