School bus driver sold heroin between runs, DA says
A school bus driver bought and sold heroin between her shifts transporting children in West Islip, authorities said.
Anna Kovarick, 38, is charged with selling and possessing controlled substances. She was arraigned Friday at First District Court in Central Islip, prosecutors said.
She was being held at the Suffolk jail last night on $10,000 bond or $5,000 cash bail, officials said.
Kovarick and her alleged supplier, Alex Vera of West Hempstead, were arrested Thursday after Kovarick purchased 300 bags of heroin for $1,800 from Vera at a restaurant in Rockville Centre, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota.
Spota said Kovarick, a driver for Acme Bus Corp. in Bohemia, would make morning runs, dropping off children at school, then use her personal vehicle to make heroin deliveries. She'd do the same thing after making her afternoon school bus run, the district attorney said.
Vera was also arraigned Friday on drug charges.
Police executed a search warrant at Vera's West Hempstead home where they seized three guns, 540 bags of heroin and 6 ounces of cocaine. A handgun had a "defaced serial number," Spota said.
Kovarick's boyfriend, Robert Persad, helped make contacts and appointments for her drug deals from his jail cell, according to Spota. He said Persad is in jail for a parole violation.
The bus company did not return calls seeking comment.
Sarra Sounds Off Ep. 35: EI baseball, girls lacrosse and plays of the week On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," we look at East Islip baseball's inspirational comeback story, Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week and Tess Ferguson breaks down the top defensive players in girls lacrosse.
Sarra Sounds Off Ep. 35: EI baseball, girls lacrosse and plays of the week On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," we look at East Islip baseball's inspirational comeback story, Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week and Tess Ferguson breaks down the top defensive players in girls lacrosse.
