A flood of illicit prescription drugs pouring onto the streets of Rockland County is turning street corners and popular shopping areas into open-air marketplaces for drug dealing, according to law enforcement officials who this morning revealed drug charges against 40 people targeted in 10-month-long investigation.
An early-morning sweep by Rockland County investigators and local police has led to the arrest of 22 people, with another 14 people being sought or soon to be in custody.
Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe said the investigation found accused drug dealers frequently using text messaging over cellular telephones to set up quick meetings with customers at high-traffic areas such as the Palisades Center mall, the Pathmark shopping center in Nanuet, the Spring Valley Marketplace, the parking lot of the McDonald’s in West Haverstraw and at street locations in Nyack, Nanuet and Pearl River.
Undercover officers made more than 100 drug purchases during the investigation, known as “Operation High Rise.” This is the third such probe this year, with a total of more than 90 people having been hit with drug dealing charges.
Today’s arrests, Zugibe said, were the result of information that was originally obtained by Orangetown police about illegal drug sales in Nyack. Zugibe said that two key figures in those drug sales have been identified, but are still being sought by police and federal marshals.
“Drug dealing threatens the safety of our residents and pushes families and businesses out of our communities,” said Zugibe. “My Office is committed to improving the quality of life for all residents of Rockland County, and will continue to pursue investigations leading to these types of serious felony cases.”
Those charged today range in age from 18 to 56 and are accused of selling powdered and crack cocaine, heroin and highly addictive prescription pharmaceuticals — Ecstasy, Percocet and Oxycodone — to undercover police officers on dozens of occasions since last November.
Among those arrested are eight purported Bloods street gang members based in Rockland County and at least one member of another local gang.
In addition to the arrests, police officers executed four court-authorized search warrants and recovered various amounts of cocaine, prescription pills and drug paraphernalia and several thousand dollars in cash.
Among those arrested was Tyrone Gomez, 37, of 321 Prospect Ave., Hackensack, NJ, who Zugibe described as a major source of illegal narcotics for Rockland County. Gomez is accused of selling cocaine to undercover officers on several separate occasions in 2011.
Zugibe also noted that continuing investigations have tracked the source of many of the drugs currently being sold back to the Bronx, Manhattan — and eventually to Mexico.
Most of the 40 charged in the 120-count indictment face arraignment in Rockland County Court in New City. Eleven of them have been on parole at one time or another, including four whom are currently incarcerated at the Rockland County Correctional Facility in New City, Zugibe said. Four of thos charged are being sought by U.S. Marshals in other states, with two others currently in rehab programs.
Those charged in the probe are accused of numerous counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance, punishable by up to nine years in prison, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Conspiracy.
“Today’s crackdown is part of an ongoing campaign to stop the scourge of drug-dealing and drug-based violence in Rockland County,” Rockland County Narcotics Task Force Director Christopher Goldrick said. “The arrests underscore District Attorney Zugibe’s commitment to improve the quality of life for all residents in Rockland.”
The investigation was conducted by detectives assigned to the Rockland County Drug Task Force, the Rockland County Intelligence Center, the Rockland County Sheriff’s Department, the Town of Orangetown Police Department Detective Bureau, the Town of Clarkstown Police Department Street Crime Unit, the Town of Haverstraw Police Department Street Crime Unit, the Village of Suffern Police Department Detective Bureau, the Town of Ramapo Police Department Detective Bureau, the New York State Police C-NET Unit, the New York State Drug Enforcement Task Force Group T-31, the United States Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Drug/Gang Unit and the Rockland County R.E.A.C.T. Team.
Also charged in the investigation are:
Thomas Tveter, 50, of 2 Rockland Ave., Nanuet; accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Milton Mann, 55, 47 New Main St., Haverstraw, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Nick Girault, 33, of Springbrook Road, Nanuet, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Frank DeLorenzo, 24, 31 Wilshire Drive, Chestnut Ridge, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Delrawn D. Small, 32, 358 Roosevelt Ave., Spring Valley, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Jeremy "Jerry" Wilcox, 45, 4 White Gate Drive, Wappinger Falls, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Paul "Eric" Mackey, 22, 18 Columbus Ave., Spring Valley, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Joseph Carracia, 27, 20 S. Second Ave., Nanuet, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Ian Martin, 33, of 79 Church St., Nanuet, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Armondo Loyola, 54, 51A Mount Ivy Trailer Park, Pomona, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Annmarie Abdelmonen, also known as Annmarie Panell, 42, of 6A Park Ave., Spring Valley, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Oscar Edgardo Perlera Santos, also known as "Curley," 24, of 152 Depew Ave., Nyack, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Alexandria Silberman, 18, of 137 Gatto Lane, Pearl River, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Charles Anderson, 33, of 133 Sneden Place, Spring Valley, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Richard Aman, 43, of 23C Hasbrook Road, Garnderville, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
John J. Ganssle, 51, of 32 Church St., Nanuet, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Maria Rodriguez, 51, of 51A Mount Ivy Trailer Park, Pomona, accused of one counts of drug sale.
Felix Quezada, 56, 84 Main St., Haverstraw, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Terrence "Stinky" Hartfield, 28, 33 W. Railroad Ave., Garnerville, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession, and two counts of conspiracy.
Tracy "Tray" or "Nick" Arnet White, 48, 76 West St., Spring Valley, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Clifton Pierre, 27, of 16 Hastings Road, Wesley Hills, accused of two counts of drug sale and possession.
Michael Mulcahy, 36 of 56 Collins Ave., Spring Valley, accused of one count of drug sale.
So good work to the police.